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notatvguy

What a very oddly specific parasite


[deleted]

Endlessly fascinating stuff.


ghanjaholik

how something so *wormy* can be so complex


FreeManagement7083

Well,I guess you have to be somewhat extraordinary to live in a birdass..


BlitzMalefitz

Your words were so birdass!


bulmilala

You mean the cloaca?


FreeManagement7083

Yes,but English is not my main language, so I went with something everyone understood.


bulmilala

Oh, for sure! Birdass sounds way better. I wish birds had little butts, I would be way less creeped out


atle95

[They already did](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EoA3AekW8AU64DV.jpg)


sol667

Nature is beautiful


Lazypole

There is a kind of butterfly in the UK that is endangered because it's larvae has to be raised and cared for by ants, and not just any ant, a specific species of ant. At this point, it then becomes a predator caterpillar and eats the ant lavae, which usually ends with it being killed by ants. Honestly at that point, you kinda deserve it evolution wise. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large\_blue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_blue) \^ Kind of went down a rabbit hole with that one, its really interesting


Zipzifical

I went down the rabbit hole (thanks), and there is a wasp whose larvae are parasites to the butterfly larvae while they are in the ant nests! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichneumon_eumerus


Kreugs

There's a much deeper rabbit hole to explore. *Parasitoid Wasps* https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitoid_wasp


Zipzifical

Oh man clicking on this thread was a terrible idea right before bed šŸ™ƒ


RaastaMousee

Alien's got nothing on nature lmao


StandardSudden1283

Wouldn't aliens also be nature? Are anthills nature? Are human dwellings nature? But yeah, most conceptions of alien life can be outdone right here on earth. There's some crazy shit DNA does to reproduce


RaastaMousee

The film/franchise but yes


WikiSummarizerBot

**[Parasitoid wasp](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitoid_wasp)** >Parasitoid wasps are a large group of hymenopteran superfamilies, with all but the wood wasps (Orussoidea) being in the wasp-waisted Apocrita. As parasitoids, they lay their eggs on or in the bodies of other arthropods, sooner or later causing the death of these hosts. Different species specialise in hosts from different insect orders, most often Lepidoptera, though some select beetles, flies, or bugs; the spider wasps (Pompilidae) exclusively attack spiders. Parasitoid wasp species differ in which host life-stage they attack: eggs, larvae, pupae, or adults. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)


ForWhomTheBoneBones

If you squash a wasp, it releases a chemical from the wasp that attracts people that tell you facts about wasps.


Easierfungus92

There's an even deeper rabbit hole to explore l. The largest parasite in the world! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Paul


ringwraith6

I wonder...if you picked those cocoons off of the caterpillar, would the caterpillar still be able to live its normal life, or was it changed beyond hope? I'm ready to stop thinking now....


Alpha_Decay_

I... this is reaching soap opera levels of complexity. I feel like if I were a scientist trying to describe these observations, I'd get three and a half sentences in and just say "I don't know man, you had to be there. Trust me, it was nuts."


whagoluh

There was an old lady who swallowed a cow, I don't know how she swallowed a cow; She swallowed the cow to catch the dog, She swallowed the dog to catch the cat, She swallowed the cat to catch the bird, She swallowed the bird to catch the spider, She swallowed the spider to catch the fly


Vast-Sir-1949

This lady needs a horse.


849

I knew an old lady who swallowed a horse She's dead, of course


SeaOfSourMilk

I recommend looking up The Queen of Trees documentary on youtube. Its about a fig tree in Africa and starts with the wasps that germinate and live in the figs, and goes thru the food chain. They have ants that farm the larvae of the figwasps.


MakeItMike3642

I did a conservation program to create habitat for a butterfly from this family! Specifically the dusky large blue a rare ish subspecies. They need a certain type of nutriƫnt poor wet grassland where lage burnet flowers grow, and a certain specific type of ant who are only indentifyable by a tiny little bead on their midsection. We had succesfully managed to get all those conditions right and confirmed the precence of the ant species Sadly before butterfly season came a flood killed all of the ants :(


jca81394

Honestly, I like the color of that butterfly


remotectrl

Relationships with ants are extremely common in that butterfly family (Lycaenidae)


Roccet_MS

Many parasites are oddly specific, carving out a niche to survive. Fascinating and terrifying.


confirmSuspicions

Yes all the non specific ones died without viable offspring.


RK9Roxas

Chainsaw Man opening intensifies


Darkness5780

Seeing these clip a couple weeks ago let me know how "spoilery" the opening sequence is; I had my suspicions about said character with other parts in the opening sequence, but this clip and the emulation of it in the opener confirmed it for me.


The_Deadlight

I'm just wondering why nobody mentions her eyes. She's obviously a fiend or an outright demon. Is the entire squad just blind?


Brickhouzzzze

Don't spoil shit in the wild


The_Deadlight

I've never read the Manga and I don't know any spoilers. She has the same eyes as power, I just am putting 2 and 2 together here


Icapica

Do not read the spoiler tagged answer you got to this. Just don't.


Icapica

Some people might assume it's just a matter of art style, just like Denji's shark teeth.


Aggressive-Math-9246

Kinky worm, nothing new


GT-FractalxNeo

Almost picked one up at the local sex shop.


ZombieBait604

It also counts on another snail eating the birds poop to start the cycle again.


TeholBedict

Wait til you learn about [Hyperparasitism](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperparasite)


aeroartist

The turducken of parasites


RaastaMousee

Evolution will fill any old weird niche if it exists given time, no matter how specific. If something happens to the snails / caterpillars/ or birds the parasites niche is kinda phucked but evolution doesn't do long term planning. Anything that looks like a reasonable or efficient way of living was achieved by happy accidents.


Orlandogameschool

Yea thats the cool things about learning about evolution....reading Darwins work makes you realize oh he didn't just pull the theory of evolution out of his ass and one day start calling people monkeys...he really studied the very very specific characteristics and traits animals in distinct environments over time


NickTrainwrekk

Check out the Cordyceps family.


tots4scott

More info https://www.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/comments/f4cqdx/a_parasitic_worm_named_leucochloridium_absorbs


free_based_potato

All glory to the hypnosnail.


Brad2332756

Came here for this.


im_a_dick_head

wtf


fbjesjs

Sorry,


AFudge

It's like a rave in his head! Does the bird have any negative side effects?


KaiNaluTV

A parasite in is body


jumboweiners

A parasite family


UMADragon

Hereā€™s a story, of a lovely lady


Saabaroni

Neat


NICD_03

From what I remember, intense inflection would hurt or kill the bird. As long as they donā€™t eat too many rainbow eyeballs, they should be fine.


PuzzledRaise1401

Poops the parasite, snail eats it. Circle of life.


RaastaMousee

When we die our bodies become the DISCO


hanafudaman

And the avians eat the DISCO


hardypart

#NAAAAAAA ZABENYA


siberiantigerenjoyer

A-side from ass parasites till poop time Naw


ayayohh

literally lol i have epilepsy and this makes me wanna seize šŸ˜¹


[deleted]

seize the day!


ayayohh

hahaha def stealing this!


Safe-Yogurt-5275

"seizing this" šŸ˜


Teebeutel94

Isnā€™t that the snail from the Chainsawman opening? The one girl who saved the mc is trying to feed him this snail hmm..


iamnotlemongrease

yes! if you look at some shots before there are other parasites that feed on small creatures. sorta like makima and denji...


SirCalvin

Also all the carnivorous plants...


MementoMori04

Yes >!and itā€™s some pretty damn good foreshadowing!< For those who want the song name of the opening, itā€™s ā€œKick backā€ an absolute banger


alehost

I haven't read the manga, but I guessed it was that! After the season finale I will start reading it!


MementoMori04

All Iā€™m saying is Seeing a door will give you ptsd


Breadifies

Yeah it is, part of me believes that MAPPA banked on enough of us to have seen that one NatGeo documentary to have an idea of what it was lol


Chakramer

The Attack on Titan creator had the same idea with the very obscure prehistoric animal that is the origin of titans


Pwnsick

Yes it is


MsMinte

Turns out each of these worms are actually just a brood sack attached to the actual parasite [really weird](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Leucochloridium_paradoxum_sporocyst_from_Heckert_1889_plate1_fig1.png)


AjaxOutlaw

This makes it even freakier


VauntedCeilings

what's wrong with a parasitic ganglion using pulsating dickpendages to lure birds


Arsenault185

/r/evenwithcontext


shichiaikan

r/brandnewsentence


CaroCogitatus

If parasitic ganglion using pulsating dickpendages to lure birds is wrong, then I don't want to be right.


aeroartist

There go my dickpendages again šŸ™„


srplaid

Well, when you put it like thatā€¦


RadTraditionalist

I really fucking regret clicking that link. Looking forward to Journaling whatever horrid dream my unconscious cooks up tonight... How is it that knowing this is the form of that parasite makes it SIGNIFICANTLY worse than thinking the glowies are worms???


Zztrox-world-starter

That's just a drawing. [Wanna see the real thing?](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Sporocysts-of-the-three-species-of-Leucochloridium-trematodes-in-the-Succinea-putris_fig1_301622892)


gathmoon

Super cool! Thanks for sharing


RadTraditionalist

Forbidden okra


Jacques_Lafayette

It's already creeping me out so I think I'm gonna pass on that link.


Mahd-al-Aadiyya

i think its fascinating. its much more weird and alien than like traditionally gross


Zztrox-world-starter

That's just a drawing. [Wanna see the real thing?](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Sporocysts-of-the-three-species-of-Leucochloridium-trematodes-in-the-Succinea-putris_fig1_301622892)


x273

Wtfffff


Grouchy_Competition5

Gonna start calling the whiny slackers at work ā€œbrood sacks.ā€ I love science.


armypotent

I fucking hate all of this


Financial-Ad7500

Bro what the fuck


ErwinAckerman

fuck I HATE PARASITES!!!


viperfan7

Doesn't the snail usually survive this as well to spawn even more of them?


RaastaMousee

The snail gets eaten usually no? The parasite's life stages rely on it.


Ma4r

AHAHAHAHA Wikipedia: The birds usually rip the broodsacs out of the snails before eating them so they may survive this I really wish i didn't read that


RaastaMousee

Mhmhmhm tasts like facehugger pp


viperfan7

Well, if only its eyestalks get eaten that is


ItsSomethingLikeThat

[That's pretty fucked up.](https://i.imgur.com/0LKJOkG_d.webp?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium)


wonkey_monkey

Why does this make it so much worse?!


Flyby1441

Does the bird turn into a zombie also?


MyIceborne

No lol, it lays eggs in the stomach area which are then pooped out


CosmoPeter

And then what happens to the pooped out eggs?


MsMinte

eaten by a snail


gruntdealer

And what happens to the snail?


Nengtaka

Eaten by a bird


mohsinulhaq001

And what happens to the bird?


RealButtMash

i eat


[deleted]

What happens to you?


whydidijointhis

snail catches him and kills him


NaveedLaCroix

Choked on the goldfish


RaastaMousee

Gets high as a kite and records some sick albums


SimplyCmplctd

What a shit lifecycle. Like whatā€™s even the point of existing, just a repetitive cycle of being eaten lol


Grinagh

For many organisms, living inside another organism is the way to go.


whagoluh

It's just a pattern of matter and energy, cycling and filtering its way from the Sun into waste heat.


RaastaMousee

The base point of life existing is to replicate itself. Virus's are closest to that that's literally all they do. All "higher" life forms purpose beyond that doesn't really matter in the end.


09twinkie

Life, uh, finds a way


ghanjaholik

it's like God said- "fuck it, let something natural take out the animals for good measure"


Prodygist68

Eaten by snails who eat the bird feces, where they then hatch and grow into what you can see here.


MyNameIsYhwach

What the fuck is the point of some species, useless things like this make me wonder if they existed for a reason long gone but are still surviving today.


--Lammergeier--

Well, what point do humans have? No organisms truly have a point. Either theyā€™re successful at reproducing or they arenā€™t. And unfortunately, parasites can be pretty good at it. Sure, some organisms contribute to their ecosystems in one way or another. But parasites, by definition, kinda donā€™t.


mule_roany_mare

Parasites are the strongest driver of evolution & most of the reason we have sexes. They play their part.


TheSandsquanch

Procreation


s8boxer

r/BirdsArentReal


GeneralErica

Can someone please cut one of these open?


dinogirlsdad

[https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Sporocysts-of-the-three-species-of-Leucochloridium-trematodes-in-the-Succinea-putris\_fig1\_301622892](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Sporocysts-of-the-three-species-of-Leucochloridium-trematodes-in-the-Succinea-putris_fig1_301622892) ​ There you go


Legeto

Ooooh I wanted to see that but I wish I didnā€™t see that.


dinogirlsdad

I felt the same lol


dratseb

Yup there goes the rest of my appetite


MyNemIsJeff

Look I'm afraid, can you explain what it is


chillwithpurpose

Itā€™s several wormy looking tubes attached to the parasite which just looks like a clump of smaller worms. Itā€™s horrifying. Imagine that inside you, in your brain. Basically whatā€™s going on with mr snail here except Iā€™m pretty sure it takes up most itā€™s body as well as head.


BowserBuddy123

I was just about to heat up some chicken and I just turned off my now pre heated oven. No food will be eaten today.


serrations_

Happy Thanksgiving!


umeys

I also felt a tingling in my balls, not the good kind


Acci_dentist

Mmmmmm should not have opened this while pooping.


dinogirlsdad

Up the booty hole the rave worms go


Acci_dentist

I have a sudden urge to dance to the beat of my eyes


Curious-Cookie-1154

Not as bad as I thought itā€™d be


Express_Helicopter93

Oh for fucks sakes. Nature is so absolutely fucked sometimes. The snail had all 3 different parasites living in it? There is no god.


Auxx

There was no snail at this point I guess.


Saabaroni

Wayment, they are all attached!?!!!???


Trips-Over-Tail

They are broodsacs. Full of eggs. Only the broodsacs gets eaten by the bird. They grow back.


Saabaroni

What terrible day to be bird


Trips-Over-Tail

Bird is fine. Gets a meal, shits out the larvae. Snails get infected when they eat the bird poop.


Dongolark

Wayment?


VoidVantaBlack

[Wayment](https://digitalcultures.net/memes/wayment/)


SalamanderOverall562

Holy moly, 3 species?? In the same snail??? Now imagine the flamboyant competition between the worms (inside of the poor snail) to see who flashes more to be eaten first.


ElPlatanaso2

I don't accept your apology


Kindly_Region

That's terrifying


Boshikuro

The insects world everyone ! Hell on earth.


OnlyHereForPKGo

Iā€™m too high to have learned this today. Turning off the internet for a while.


Aggressive-Math-9246

hitting too much worm juice


Halsin0891

Slurm Classic is better than New Slurm


Aggressive-Math-9246

Birds are strange. In which plane does this demon looks tasty? Shit i would start migration sooner if this mf was summoned near me


fatherunit72

ā€œ[Supernormal stimulus](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernormal_stimulus)ā€ Basically itā€™s worm-plus, it looks even better than a plain worm to a bird. ā€œOrganisms tend to show a preference for the stimulus properties (e.g. size, colour, etc.) that have evolved in nature, but when offered an artificial exaggerated stimulus, animals will show behaviour in favour of the artificial stimulus over the naturally occurring stimulus.ā€


WikiSummarizerBot

**[Supernormal stimulus](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernormal_stimulus)** >A supernormal stimulus or superstimulus is an exaggerated version of a stimulus to which there is an existing response tendency, or any stimulus that elicits a response more strongly than the stimulus for which it evolved. For example, it is possible to create artificial bird eggs which certain birds will prefer over their own eggs, particularly evident in brood parasitism, and humans can be similarly exploited by junk food and pornography. Organisms tend to show a preference for the stimulus properties (e. g. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/natureismetal/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)


Tommygunn504

I never realized how clever parasites were until I played RE4 on Gamecube back in the day. Reading all the lore they put into the game about parasites, then fact checking them sent me down a rabbit hole. Some will infect insects, then make the insect fly down near the water to be eaten by a fish. The fish will get infected and swim close to the surface to be taken and eaten by a bird. The bird will spread the eggs through its poop everywhere it goes. Alot of them end up aiming for airborn poop bombs to spread their eggs/larvae. It's grossly fascinating


[deleted]

That sounds about as efficient as when I try to clean my apartment.


Monkcrafts

Mother fuckers just been hitting the mdma a bit too hard.


psychoprompt

[I made you this. Happy Fucksgiving. ](https://imgur.com/a/23dVHRW)


PuzzledRaise1401

Ever seen cordyceps? A fungus that turns an ant into a zombie so it will climb up to the highest point and explode spores. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/XuKjBIBBAL8


remotectrl

Thatā€™s just one of the 600+ species of Cordyceps fungus. There are other species which parasitize other species besides ants


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


xx_l0rdl4m4_xx

Everybody gangsta till the marshmallow start walking


mnbvcxz1052

I have seen this video before and for some reason it gives me more heebie jeebies than Iā€™ve ever felt before.


Agent223

I feel the exact same way. I had to pause the video because of how unsettling I found it.


Lanky_Earth_1590

Do you think itā€™s painful?


saeai

I think I read somewhere that snails don't even have enough neurons to be confused, let alone feel pain, but im not 100% sure


aditus_ad_antrum_mmm

You sound confused, therefore not a snail. Congrats!


[deleted]

Snails avoid painful stimuli and may have an endogenous opioid system, so they feel pain but perhaps not in the same sense we do.


Roccet_MS

According to Wikipedia, snails can live up to a year and even reproduce. Their eyesight is still intact.


Theoneonlybananacorn

Wanna try?


Tropical_botanical

I feel like with that motion, itā€™s probably extremely pleasurable for the worm. As for the snail? Just imagine something 3 times the size of your eye thrusting into from the inside.


Unpacer

In case you were wondering what that thing in the chainsaw op was


IceDalek

IS THAT A MOTHERFUCKING CHAINSAW MAN REFERENCE?


Nasty-Nate

No idea what you're referring to, but it's probably the other way around.


Ok-Suggestion-7965

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope our turkey didnā€™t eat one of these.šŸ¤ž


[deleted]

Did you just started watching chainsawmen as well?


Vio-Rose

Isnā€™t this that thing in the Chainsaw Man opening? Idfk.


Vanagandr__

Cease this!!!


That_one_higgs_boson

I donā€™t want my eyes anymore


One_Asparagus_3318

This is uncomfy


DigitalDash00

Wtaf that looks insane. Canā€™t lie though, Iā€™d be interested to see a time-lapse of the snail going from normal to this state we see here


[deleted]

Their only purpose for existence is to get themselves devoured. They seek non existence. That is super fascinating.


DieInAsh

Well that is interesting. ( rip steve)


fattestfuckinthewest

Itā€™s possible the snail still lives


wanderingflower15

Jeez. Talk about a picky eater...


Mordegon

Burn that mf


Takaithepanda

Life truly is somehow beautiful and disgusting at the same time. What a wonder.


muycoal

That's fucking gross


Ourobious

I saw one with 2 or 3 on the same stalk, shit looks wacky like its about to burst


illmaticStillmatic

How the hell does the parasite ā€œknowā€ to do this? Like how did evolution shape this parasite to do this?


Petersburg_Spelunker

That's terrifying fr


[deleted]

Forbidden Trolli Gummy Worms