Sac Fungus (Cordyceps sp. ) fruiting bodies, emerging from dead parasitized butterfly, Manu Road, Departemento Cuzco

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Sac Fungus (Cordyceps sp. ) fruiting bodies, emerging from dead parasitized butterfly, Manu Road, Departemento Cuzco

Sac Fungus (Cordyceps sp.) fruiting bodies, emerging from dead parasitized butterfly, Manu Road, Departemento Cuzco, Andes, Peru

FLPA images of Wildlife and nature

Media ID 6573445

© FLPA/Emanuele Biggi

Andean Andes Ascomycete Ascomycota Bizarre Butter Fly Butterflies Dead Death Emerge Emerged Emerges Emerging Fungi Fungus Kill Killed Kills Mushroom Mushrooms Neo Tropical Neotropics Parasite Parasites Parasitic Parasitise Parasitised Parasitises Parasitising Parasitize Parasitized Parasitizes Parasitizing Peru Peruvian Unusual Weird Endoparasitoid Entomopathogenic Montane Upland Uplands

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EDITORS COMMENTS
. In this mind-bending masterpiece captured by FLPA photographer Emanuele Biggi, we witness a truly extraordinary dance of life and death. Behold the enchanting Sac Fungus (Cordyceps sp. ), emerging from its unsuspecting victim – a once vibrant butterfly – on Manu Road, Departemento Cuzco, nestled amidst the majestic Andes Mountains in Peru. As if plucked straight from an otherworldly fantasy, these bizarre fruiting bodies sprout from the butterfly's lifeless form like ethereal musical notes suspended in mid-air. It is as though Mother Nature herself has composed a symphony of strangeness that defies all logic and expectation. This image transports us to the heart of South America's neotropics, where even death becomes a canvas for creation. The parasitic Cordyceps fungi have mastered the art of survival by hijacking their insect hosts with deadly precision. In this macabre ballet, they emerge victorious while their unfortunate victims succumb to their fate. Amidst Peru's tropical uplands and lush montane forests, where butterflies flutter freely under clear blue skies, this sight serves as a reminder that nature is both beautiful and unforgiving. So let us marvel at this peculiar spectacle - an ode to resilience and adaptation - as it unfolds against the backdrop of breathtaking mountain vistas. In this snapshot frozen in time

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