A research team in Brazil studying moths, the caterpillars of which feed on leaves of the native guava tree and on an exotic eucalyptus, noticed that they were sometimes attacked by parasitoid wasps, which would insert up to 80 eggs into them. The infected caterpillar continues going about its normal routine, while inside the eggs hatch and begin to feed on its precious bodily fluids. All of this is fairly par for the course, as far as parasite/host relationships go, however, what happened when the larvae have matured came as a bit of a surprise:

When the parasitoid larvae are full-grown, they emerge together through the host’s skin, and start pupating nearby. Unlike many other combinations of host and parasitoid, the host remains alive but displays spectacular changes in its behaviour: it stops feeding and remains close to the parasitoid pupae. Moreover, it defends the parasitoid pupae against approaching predators with violent head-swings.

When the parasitoids emerge from their pupae state the caterpillar dies; having lived a life being leeched of its vital juices and later turned into a zombie bodyguard.

Parasitoid Turns Its Host Into A Bodyguard [Science Daily] : Neatorama

If you were planning on having intimate relations with a crustacean in the near future Ectomo would like to offer up this tale of warning. This is an anomuran crab. Quite a looker to be sure. Any marine fetishist would love to put this notch in their bedpost, but look closer. Attached to this exquisite beauty is a parasite known as a rhizocephalan. This particular rhizocephalan is named Briarosaccus callosus and it is nature’s cock-block.

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Proving that parasitic worms are not limited to the nightmares of snails, scientists from the University of California Berkeley and the University of Arkansas have discovered a parasitic nematode, since named Myrmeconema neotropicum, which works its infernal magic on ants.

The round worm was observed infecting black ants, found in Panamanian forests. Once infected, the worms turn the ants’s abdomens bright red, making them resemble berries; thereby enticing birds, who would otherwise not eat the foul tasting insects, to consume them. The worms then lay eggs in the bird, which are deposited in their excrement. The ants feed the bird droppings to their young and the whole horrific process begins anew.

Parasite makes ants into “berries” to entice birds [Reuters] : ectotweeted by zanbowser