An Ophiocordyceps camponoti spore lies in wait on the forest floor until touched by an unlucky carpenter ant. After penetrating the ant’s exoskeleton and evading its immune system, Cordyceps consumes the creature from the inside as it grows. Eventually, the hapless host is barely able to function. By then, its nervous system has been hijacked to perform one last task on the parasite’s behalf. The ant is forced to seek out a final resting place that will become the optimal spot for Cordyceps to reproduce. After climbing to the end of a twig, leaf, or blade of grass, the ant bites down hard and dies at last. Cordyceps bursts forth with fruiting bodies - tiny mushrooms - to disperse its spores back to the forest floor. Double posted, soft enamel. Comes on a Bug Box backer card with species identification.
