summit disease

English

grasshoppers that have died from a fungal summit disease

Noun

summit disease

1. A (usually fungal) disease that affects various species of insect, whereby the infected individual climbs a plant, attaches itself there and dies, at which point the infecting agent disperses itself, usually in the form of spores.
   • 2010, Lawrence I. Gilbert, Sarjeet S. Gill, Insect Control: Biological and Synthetic Agents, page 405:

     Some fungus mediated behavioral changes have been recorded, such as summit disease where infected grasshoppers climb to the top of plants to die (see Section 11.3.3.2).

   • 2012, Fernando E. Vega, Harry K. Kaya, Insect Pathology - Volume 2, page 38:

     The image illustrates what is known as treetop disease or summit disease, whereby the host climbs to an exposed position (e.g. on vegetation) before death to facilitate dispersal of the pathogen.

   • 2017, Jack Ashby, Animal Kingdom: A Natural History in 100 Objects:

     A particularly striking example of host manipulation called 'summit disease' occurs across a wide range of insect groups including aphids, grasshoppers, butterflies and moths, beetles and ants.

   • 2020, Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life, page 124:

     The death grip, summit disease, these are extended characteristics of the fungus, part of its extended phenotype.