Eerie image of parasitic 'zombie' fungus erupting from a fly wins ecology photo competition

Images of lounging elephants, treefrog embryos and a parasitic fungus erupting from the body of a fly have all won prizes at an ecology photo competition. The doomed fly was captured by evolutionary biologist Roberto García-Roa in the Tambopata National Reserve, Peru, and took the overall win at the second ever BMC Ecology and Evolution Image Competition. The contest aims to showcase the wonder of the natural world and emphasise the growing need to protect it from human activity. Mr García-Roa, from the University of Valencia, Spain, said: 'The image depicts a conquest that has been shaped by thousands of years of evolution. 'The spores of the so-called'zombie' fungus have infiltrated the exoskeleton and mind of the fly and compelled it to migrate to a location that is more favourable for the fungus's growth.