In a surprising discovery made during a group tour in August 2025, scientist Alexander Bentley found a spider seemingly alive under a mass covered in what appeared to be a deadly parasitic fungus. Bentley, an expert in herpetology based in Ecuador, is familiar with cordyceps, a parasitic fungus known for its presence in the popular franchise “The Last of Us.”
Cordyceps, referred to as “zombie fungus,” infects insects and arachnids, manipulating them to spread its spores in a manner that resembles zombie behavior. The spider encountered by Bentley had developed tubercle-like structures on its abdomen, typically a sign of successful cordyceps infection.
Initially assuming it was a cordyceps-infected spider that had somehow survived, Bentley was surprised to find out that it was actually a previously undiscovered species of arachnid mimicking fungus like cordyceps. The research findings were recently published in Zootaxa.
Although scientists are celebrating this unique discovery, there is some skepticism regarding whether the spider’s resemblance to fungus is sufficient evidence of mimicry. Bentley sought assistance from the citizen-science platform iNaturalist, where experts suggested that the spider might be imitating a parasitic fungi species known as gibellula, belonging to the Cordycipitaceae family.
Further investigation led by Bentley and his colleague, David Ricardo Díaz-Guevara, confirmed that the spider was indeed a new species named Taczanowskia waska. Comparisons with existing literature on similar spider species validated this groundbreaking identification.
The spider’s peculiar appearance has sparked two theories among experts. It could be an aggressive hunting strategy, leveraging fungal mimicry to ambush prey stealthily, or a defensive mechanism to deter predators like birds. While some believe the spider’s resemblance to cordyceps is a form of camouflage, others, like associate professor Andrew Swafford, suggest that more research is needed to understand the purpose of its unique features.
Regardless of the reasons behind its mimicry, Bentley considers this discovery as one of the most extraordinary encounters in his rainforest explorations. Describing it as the rarest and most bizarre find of his career, he emphasizes the significance of this new spider species within the scientific community.
