Seeing Through an Ant's Eyes: Do Entomopathogenic Fungi Extend Their Cognition to Their Hosts?
André Geremia Parise, Mark Tibbett, Brian J Pickles
Topics in Cognitive Science November 18, 2025 DOI: 10.1111/tops.70032 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Cognitive ecology Extended mind Fungal behavior Fungal cognition Ophiocordycipitaceae Post‐cognitivism |
| Key points | Proposes that some entomopathogenic fungi in the families Cordycipitaceae, Ophiocordycipitaceae, and Clavicipitaceae may extend their cognition into the insects and other arthropods they infect, using the host's sensorimotor apparatus to locate suitable sites for fungal dispersal. The authors present case studies of Ophiocordyceps fungi inducing ants to seek bright places in the forest as a possible example of extended cognition of a non-neural organism through a neural organism, but argue that empirical testing using a solid demarcating criterion is required to confirm this hypothesis. |
Abstract
Post-cognitivist approaches recognize cognition as a phenomenon that involves not just brains but all the sensorimotor apparatus of organisms. This means that brains are not always required for the emergence of cognition and that every organism can, in principle, be cognitive, unlocking a theoretical framework to explain the complex adaptive behavior of even non-neural organisms. This construct blurs the boundaries of cognitive processes, leading to what is known as the Extended Cognition thesis, where objects in the environment could become integral parts of an individual's cognitive system. Here, we explore the possibility that some species of entomopathogenic fungi in the families Cordycipitaceae, Ophiocordycipitaceae, and Clavicipitaceae could extend their cognition to the insects and other arthropods they infect. In this parasitism, the fungus takes possession of the sensorimotor apparatus of its host and coerces it to find the best places for fungal dispersal. We examine case studies where Ophiocordyceps spp. fungi induce ants to seek bright places in the forest. In this case, the fungus may be using the ant's sensorial and motoric apparatus to locate the places appropriate for its reproduction. This could be a remarkable example of extended cognition of a non-neural organism through a neural organism. However, empirical testing using a solid demarcating criterion is required to confirm this hypothesis.