// Definition
Parasitic fungi that infect and control insect behavior, consuming the host from the inside while manipulating it to climb to high points for optimal spore dispersal. The basis for 'The Last of Us' franchise.
// From the Episode
Bubbleman found cordyceps-infected beetles in the Pacific Northwest forest. The fungi produce psychotropic compounds that alter insect behavior -- cicadas infected with cordyceps are driven to seek mates while their abdomens rot, spreading spores. Human body temperature is too high for most fungi to infect us (a true scientific fact used in The Last of Us fiction). Emerging research on candida fungi boring through stomach lining and influencing human sugar cravings was discussed.