It's the stuff of nightmares - or even the hit TV show and video game The Last of Us: a novel fungus that turns its hosts into "zombies". Thankfully, so far, it's only been found in spiders located in several cave systems across the island of Ireland, including the Whitefathers' Caves on the Fermanagh/Cavan border.

Zombie horror series The Last of Us might feel a little more real after you learn about a fungus that infects cave spiders and turns them into "zombie" arachnids.

Researchers have found a new species of fungi that infects spiders turning them into 'zombies' in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Scientists identified a new fungus, Gibellula attenboroughii, infecting cave spiders in Ireland. The fungus manipulates spider behavior, resembling "zombie-ant fungi." Dr. Harry Evans, Emeritus Fellow at CAB International,

A new zombie pathogen has been discovered in Ireland. This insidious fungus infects cave spiders and alters their behavior to help spread its spores to new victims.

While filming a documentary in Northern Ireland, a team of scientists discovered a new fungus that appears to manipulate spiders’ behavior–and turn them into “zombies.” The fungus named Gibellula attenboroughii is described in a study published January 24 in the journal Fungal Systematics and Evolution.

Shooting great documentary footage requires some luck, and a BBC nature series hit the jackpot while filming in Northern Ireland in 2021. As Popular Science reports, a team of scientists working on Winterwatch discovered a new type of fungus that zombifies its spider hosts.

Scientists recently uncovered a new species of fungus that turns spiders into "zombies," manipulating their behavior before ultimately killing them. The fungus, named Gibellula attenboroughii in honor of renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough,