Human host infested by the parasitoid wasp Euderus cephalophaga. The wasp lays its egg under the skull. The larva then eats the brain tissue over years, mimicking its nerve signals to keep the host alive. Once it replaces the brain, it moults into its final form, ready to hatch.

_{© Eduardo Valdés-Hevia. Parasitoid image by van de Kamp et al.}