Zombie horror caterpillars explode into gooey mess

‘Brainwashing’ virus killing grubs

CATERPILLARS are being killed by a “zombie” virus that spreads when its victims explode, splashing goo over other grubs feeding nearby.

The baculovirus “brainwashes” the Oak Eggar grub, changing its natural instinct to hide away from sunlight and making it climb to the top of plants.

They then die and the virus makes the bodies liquify, bursting open to infect more caterpillars.

Wildlife expert Dr Chris Miller said: “It’s like a zombie horror film.”

He says the remains of Oak Eggar moth caterpillars have been spotted in the West Pennine Moors in Lancashire.

Dr Miller, mosslands manager for the Wildlife Trust in Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside, said: “It’s pretty gruesome when you think about it.

“It is really unusual seeing caterpillars high up as they can be eaten by birds. This is a caterpillar of the Oak Eggar moth, which eats heather and bilberry, so it is normally hidden in the undergrowth, not at the top of plants.”

The effect on the caterpillars was first spotted 100 years ago, but the way the virus controls the grub was recently identified by scientists in the US.

Dr Jim Slavicek, from Penn State University, Pennsylvania, USA, said: “Who knew that a virus could change the behaviour of its host? Maybe this is why we go to work when we have a cold.”

Scientists here are appealing for help to monitor the spread of the virus.

A Wildlife Trust spokesman said: “We would ask everyone who sees caterpillars, or snails for that matter, high up on leaves to report it to us.

“People should remain vigilant and look out for them.”