Parasites manipulate praying mantis's polarized-light perception, causing it to jump into water

Researchers have revealed that praying mantis (mantids) infected with parasitic hairworms are attracted to horizontally polarized light that is strongly reflected off the surface of water, which causes them to enter the water. These results demonstrate that parasites can manipulate the host's specific light perception system to their advantage, causing the host to behave in an abnormal manner.

from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3AbiyDE