Horsehair Worm
Scientific Name: Nematomorpha
Order & Family: Order Gordioidea, family varies (e.g., Gordiidae)
Size: Typically several inches long (up to 30 cm or more), but very thin (1–3 mm wide).
Natural Habitat
Damp environments, standing water, or inside the bodies of arthropod hosts (crickets, grasshoppers, beetles).
Diet & Feeding
Larvae are internal parasites that absorb nutrients from their host's body; adults do not eat.
Behavior Patterns
Larvae develop inside insects. When mature, they influence the host to seek water, where the adult worm emerges to mate and lay eggs. They are often found in a tangled knot resembling a 'Gordian Knot'.
Risks & Benefits
Harmless to humans, pets, and plants. They are beneficial to the ecosystem as they help control populations of insects like crickets and cockroaches.
Identified on: 1/3/2026