Exploding zombie caterpillars in Lancashire
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— BBC Lancashire (@BBCLancashire)
The caterpillar was suffering the effects of the baculovirus, which hijacks a caterpillar's brain, according to the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside. After the caterpillar crawls to a high spot and dies, the body liquefies and explodes, infecting other caterpillars below it.
Birds can also pick up the caterpillar corpses and carry them to new locations, spreading the virus. However, scientists aren't too concerned about the baculovirus wiping out the oak eggar moth caterpillar population, as the virus usually dies out on its own, the CBC reported.
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