Monsters Inside Me : Ways Parasites Hijack Their Hosts : Animal Planet

5 Ways Parasites Hijack Their Hosts

By Robert Lamb, HowStuffWorks.com

HowStuffWorks

Enter the cruel and beautiful world of wasps at HowStuffWorks.com.

1. PARASITE PROTECTORS

We've all been there. You're minding your own business on your morning commute and then, bam, you're suddenly pumped full of eggs by a parasitoid monster. The vermin hatch inside your belly and feast on your organs for a while, then burst out through your chest and spill onto the floor in a squirming heap of pupae. After all that, the last thing you'd want to do is protect the parasitic young as you succumb to blood loss. Right?

Not so for the caterpillar unfortunate enough to be egged-up by the Glyptapanteles wasp. After as many as 80 wasp pupae emerge from its tortured body, the wounded insect spends the remainder of its life warding predators away from the gob of newborns.

What ensures this transition from unwilling host to vigilant, head-jabbing nanny? Scientists are still working out the details, but one theory involves evidence that one or two parasitoid larvae remain in the caterpillar's body. Might these self-sacrificing larvae lag behind in order to manipulate the host?

A hard stare into the world of parasites really brings the whole "survival of the fittest" aspect of evolution into focus. Clearly, the game of natural selection isn't all about becoming the fastest, smartest or strongest. Sometimes, it's all about creeping into the nooks and crannies of the programming — and then hacking them for all their worth.

Delve further into the bizarre, frightening and fascinating world of parasites and parasitic infection:

Livin' La Vida Parasita Find out how parasites affect our mind, our health and our lives in this series of articles from HowStuffWorks.com.		MONSTERS INSIDE ME Videos What happens when humans fall prey to parasites? Watch the shocking, gruesome and sometimes deadly details of parasitic infection.
Meet the Parasites Meet deadly parasites; learn about their life cycles and the infections they cause; see amazing pictures, incredible video and more.		Rate Disgusting Parasite Habits From blood-sucking to brain-eating, rate revolting parasite habits on a scale from "gross" (0) to "I think I'm going to vomit" (10).
Parasite Pictures and Wallpaper See detailed, computer-generated images of parasites in our bodies, and download your favorites to your desktop!		About MONSTERS INSIDE ME Sometimes the scariest monsters are the smallest. Find out more about this Animal Planet series.

SOURCES:

Tongue Eater Spreading?
The Replacement Tongue
Houseguests from Hell: 6 Horrifying Parasites Guaranteed to Overstay Their Welcome
Ant Parasite Turns Host Into Ripe Red Berry, Biologists Discover
Parasitoid Turns Its Host Into A Bodyguard
Do Parasites Rule the World?
Parasites Brainwash Grasshoppers Into Death Dive
Parasitoid Turns Host Into Bodyguard

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