I took a picture of a dead moth with what looked like white roots coming out of it while exploring a cave in the Pacific Northwest. Then I noticed there were a lot of them in this section of the cave. About 12 feet above, closer to the entrance, there were a bunch of unaffected moths. I was wondering a few things. Are the white root structures coming out of the dead moths a parasite? Is it possible that the dead ones release a pheromone that attracts the moths which in turn become infected when they brush up against the parasitic structures? I contacted a parasite expert in Oregon and based off the picture he said it may be a new species. He asked for a sample and hasn't responded since I sent it to him.
Notathingys4 karma
I took a picture of a dead moth with what looked like white roots coming out of it while exploring a cave in the Pacific Northwest. Then I noticed there were a lot of them in this section of the cave. About 12 feet above, closer to the entrance, there were a bunch of unaffected moths. I was wondering a few things. Are the white root structures coming out of the dead moths a parasite? Is it possible that the dead ones release a pheromone that attracts the moths which in turn become infected when they brush up against the parasitic structures? I contacted a parasite expert in Oregon and based off the picture he said it may be a new species. He asked for a sample and hasn't responded since I sent it to him.
PICTURE: http://i.imgur.com/TZSzRqB.png
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