Overview

• Recent sightings include fungus‑encrusted spider corpses in U.S. attics and crawl spaces, with additional reports from the U.K., Ireland, the Czech Republic, Russia, Canada and New Zealand.
• Gibellula attenboroughii was first noticed during BBC Winterwatch filming in Northern Ireland in 2021 and was later confirmed as a new species through genetic analysis.
• Research published in 2025 describes the fungus invading a spider’s hemocoel, altering behavior to leave the web, killing the host with a toxin and mummifying the body with antibiotics before producing spore‑bearing stalks in humid conditions.
• Documented hosts include the cave‑ and orb‑weaving spiders Metellina merianae and Meta menardi found in Irish cave systems and related habitats.
• Mycologists underscore there is no known human infection risk and say studying the organism’s host‑manipulating metabolites could yield broader biological insights.