"Millions of Hyper-Sexual 'Zombie Cicadas' Infected with Fungus Set to Emerge Across the U.S."
Trillions of cicadas infected with a sexually transmitted fungus, Massospora cicadina, are expected to emerge in the U.S. this spring, with two broods, Brood XIX and Brood XIII, appearing in Georgia, the Southeast, and Illinois. The fungus causes hyper-sexual behavior in the cicadas, making them engage in unusual mating rituals, and replaces a third of their bodies, including their genitals, with chalky, white plugs. The fungus is sexually transmissible and spreads like an STD, potentially affecting other wildlife. Researchers urge people not to eat or kill the infected cicadas, but to share photos to help study the phenomenon.