Four new species of "zombie" fungi that infect ants and take control of their brains, eventually killing them, have been discovered in the Brazilian rain forest, according to a study published in the online journal PLoS ONE.

The article, "Hidden Diversity Behind the Zombie-Ant Fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis," names four new species belonging to the O. unilateralis species complex found in the Atlantic rain forest in the southeastern region of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The so-called zombie or brain-manipulating fungi alter the ant's behavior and causes it to die in an exposed position, typically clinging to and biting shrub leaves, the study says.