Naturalist discovers Last of Us fungus that 'turns spiders into zombies' in Scottish forest

An amateur naturalist has discovered the rare fungus that inspired The Last of Us in a Scottish rainforest.

The Gibellula fungus, a type of Cordycipitaceae described as turning its spider victims into “zombies”, has been found in forests on the Portavadie peninsula.

The area has received global attention since the fungus was found – made famous by the video game and later television series starring Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal.

The fungus eats spiders from the inside out, leaving the exoskeleton in one piece, before erupting to spread more spores and claim another host.

Experts say Gibellula has been recorded in Scotland on ten occasions in the last 70 years. Ben Mitchell

Two examples of the fungus were found by amateur naturalist Ben Mitchell as part of the West Cowal Habitat Restoration Project in Argyll and Bute.

Ben told STV News: “We were walking back to the car in another area of woodland and there was a foxglove next to the track. A gust of wind blew the leaves.

“I saw something strange on the bottom of the leaf, but I couldn’t understand what it was, so I picked it up, rolled it up and took it with me.”

Ben said a magnifying glass revealed an “incredible cotton candy monstrosity with four little spider fingers” at the bottom of the leaf, which he had seen before in nature magazines.

Ben Mitchell discovered the fungus during a visit to the rainforest STV News

Experts say Gibellula has been recorded in Scotland on ten occasions in the last 70 years.

“I’ve been interested in fungi for a long time,” he said. “It is a very rare fungus.

“Gibellula appears to make spiders move to the underside of leaves, before sticking them there.

“Perhaps this is so that, when they fructify, the spores are protected from the rain and can fall on other unsuspecting spiders more easily. It’s a little dark, but it’s part of the remarkable natural world.”

Ben added: “There are so many incredibly lush and beautiful things growing on the trees and rocks around us.

“This is a very special place – the place you want to be if you want to learn all these things. There’s a lot going on.”

Temperate rainforests that survive in wetter but cooler climates are spread across the west coast of Scotland, including Portavadie.

Lampyris noctiluca - firefly. Glenan Bay, Argyll, UK — Lampyris noctiluca – firefly. Glenan Bay, Argyll, UK Ben Mitchell

These are areas with high rainfall and a slightly warmer average temperature – and are a haven for biodiversity, including lichens, mosses and other wildlife such as fireflies, orchids and even jellyfish.

But experts say they are threatened due to a lack of predators and invasive species such as the rhododendron.

Overgrazing by deer – which have no natural predators – means younger plants are struggling to thrive.

Although climate change threatens the delicate balance this landscape needs to survive.

The project, managed by the Argyll Countryside Trust (ACT), aims to restore the rare temperate rainforest that grows on the Kilfinan and Colintraive peninsulas.

Forestry coordinator Ian Dow said: “Scotland has some of the best examples of temperate rainforest habitat. The broader challenges facing the tropical forest are related to climate change and the biodiversity crisis the planet is experiencing.

In The Last Of Us, the fungal infection causes its hosts to transform into zombie-like creatures. Liane Hentscher/HBO

“We are working to protect, restore, expand and reconnect these isolated island fragments in Argyll.

“If we can reconnect and expand these bioreservoirs, we will provide an opportunity to diversify genetics within the habitat and help provide resilience to climate change for decades to come.

“The local community has really come together on this project and is very passionate about the local rainforest. We couldn’t have done it without them.”

Ecologist and president of Friends of Glenan Wood, Katharine Lowrie, organizes wild running retreats for the local community in the rainforests and says there are “so many gems” to be found.

One of his favorite dreams unfolds at night; a biofluorescent lichen that glows in the dark under ultraviolet light.

Ecologist Katharine Lowrie says the rainforest is a “wonderful” refuge for biodiversity STV News

“It was iridescent and crazy. This kind of show and this crazy fungus bring this place to another dimension,” she said.

“I love this place. It’s a really unique habitat. There is life everywhere and exploding with it.

“When I arrived here, I felt like I was leafing through a Tolkien book. I imagined fairies and gnomes emerging from the trees. Children love coming here.

“I make people hug trees and get muddy and know what it’s all about.”

Katharine said it was “vital” that more was done to protect the rainforest and educate people about the life forms that inhabit it.

“Glenan is globally important for its lichens and mosses, but it is also excellent for birds, mink, insects and flowers from a wildlife perspective.

“We lack the predators that we would have had in the past and that would have suppressed herbivores. It’s important for people to realize that we can do something about this.

“We must do what we can to reduce herbivores and get rid of the invasive species that threaten these rainforests.

“We can bring local communities here and show them the crazy ways of life that are part of this amazing place.”