‘Zombie spiders’ have invaded London after they were found hidden in a suburban home.
Gareth Jenkins was working in a garden in Wanstead, east London, on Tuesday when he discovered the bugs beneath some decking.
The 46-year-old said he jumped back in shock after spotting 15 of the creatures with what appears to be a white foam around their bodies.
He told Metro: ‘They had almost see-through legs and were about half an inch big.
‘I’ve been a landscaper for 20 years and never in my life have I seen something like this.’
After posting images of his find online, he was told the spiders had been infected with a ‘zombie parasite’ – the entomopathogenic fungus.
The fungi infects the brains of spiders and then keeps them alive for a few more days, controlling their movements and ensuring it is able to spread to as many as possible before killing the host.
Gareth, from Greenman Landscaping, said he reported his finding to the British Mycological Society who confirmed it was in fact he zombie virus.
‘They assured me it can’t spread to humans,’ he said. ‘But if I saw one of them run towards me I know I will died of a heart attack.’
Gareth told the homeowner about the bugs living under the decking, who begged him to not tell his wife and teenage daughters about the creatures.
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He said: ‘The house is just in the middle of suburbia, you would never expect to find these spiders here.
‘After I posted it online, I was told to burn the house down.’
What is the fungus that turns spiders into zombies?
The entomopathogenic fungi is a parasite that infect, disables and kill insects.
It is able to pass from insect to insect, and infects the brain and nervous system to manipulate behaviour.
The fungus can even move o the infected insect from place to place, finding the best place to find new hosts before the animal dies.
It can not be passed on to humans, but it has previously been able to jump from insect to plant to truffle.
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