Horsehair Worm

Scientific Name: Gordius sp. (Gordiacea)

Order & Family: Order: Gordiida, Family: Gordiidae

Size: Typically several inches long (up to 30 cm or more), but very thin (1-3 mm wide).

Found in fresh water, such as troughs, puddles, pools, and streams, or in damp soil.

Adults do not feed; larvae are internal parasites of insects like crickets, grasshoppers, and beetles.

The larvae develop inside host insects and manipulate their behavior to jump into water. Adults emerge to mate and lay eggs in knots.

Harmless to humans, pets, and plants; beneficial to the ecosystem by controlling certain insect populations.

Identified on: 3/12/2026