Graphs Built From Reported Results

• 2010 — Fossil evidence (~47.8 Ma) shows death-grip leaf scars consistent with fungal manipulation Biology Letters 2010 — fossil death-grip evidence
• 2012–2015 — Field ecology and taxonomy reveal seasonal dynamics and species diversity within the O. unilateralis complex J Invertebr Pathol 2012 — life cycle & seasonality Phytotaxa 2015 — cryptic species & host-specificity
• 2015 — Transcriptomics: fungal genes upregulated during biting behavior, suggesting molecular effectors BMC Genomics 2015 — gene expression during biting
• 2017 — High-resolution imaging + deep learning: fungus forms body-wide networks but not in the brain PNAS 2017 — 3D networks; no brain invasion
• 2019–2023 — Long-term field monitoring of 'graveyards' shows spatial dynamics and microclimate dependence Mulu graveyards 2019–2023 — spatial dynamics

Notes: median fungal abundance in infected ants ~10% of observed cells (range 4–38%); hyphal bodies show sparse interconnectivity (mean ≈1.15 connections/cell); muscle invasion observed in 5 of 8 anatomical samples (reported in the paper) — these support a peripheral, body-wide mechanism for manipulation rather than direct brain colonization PNAS 2017 quantitative metrics

Interpretation: Night Walk stayed the largest graveyard but cadaver density rose from ~1→4 ants/m² (2019→2023); Paku Trail shrank in area while density rose modestly; Botany Loop appeared by 2023 with elevated density — authors interpret microclimatic patches and site fidelity as drivers but note inconsistent sampling across years and missing fungal genotyping Mulu 2019–2023 field monitoring

• Most mechanistic data come from a few ant–fungus host pairs (Camponotus castaneus and related species) and experimental infections — generality across the species-rich O. unilateralis complex is uncertain Phytotaxa 2015 — cryptic species.
• Absence of fungal cells in the brain (PNAS 2017) argues against direct brain invasion in the studied samples, but small-sample and species-specific caveats remain; secreted effectors, peripheral neuromuscular disruption, or circadian entrainment are plausible routes supported by gene expression and behavioral timing data Integrative review 2014 — circadian & heterogeneity.