Horsehair Worm

Freshwater environments such as ponds, streams, troughs, and moist soil

Larvae are parasites of arthropods (crickets, cockroaches, beetles); adults do not eat

Larvae develop inside a host; once mature, they manipulate the host's behavior to seek water, where the adult worm emerges to mate

Harmless to humans, pets, and plants; benefit the ecosystem by regulating insect populations