New species of fungi is turning Irish cave spiders into ‘zombies’ 

Discovered on David Attenborough's 'Winterwatch', Gibellula attenboroughii, centre, is a fungus that takes control of Irish orb-weaving cave spiders to help distribute their fungal spores. Picture: Tim Fogg

A new species of fungi which infects spiders and turns them into The Last of Us-style “zombies” has been discovered in Irish caves.

The newly-described fungus has drawn “normally reclusive” spiders out of their lairs or webs to die in exposed locations in White Fathers Cave, which lies beneath counties Cavan and Fermanagh.