Horsehair Worm

Freshwater environments like streams, ponds, and troughs, but can also be found in damp soil.

In their adult stage, they do not eat. As larvae, they are parasitic and absorb nutrients from the bodies of their insect hosts.

They have a complex life cycle; larvae infect hosts like crickets and beetles. Upon reaching maturity, they manipulate the host's behavior to seek water, where the adult worm emerges to mate.

They are harmless to humans, pets, and plants. They are beneficial for controlling populations of certain insects, such as crickets and grasshoppers.