Horsehair worm

Typically found in freshwater environments such as streams, puddles, or ponds. They occasionally appear in domestic areas like toilets, sinks, or swimming pools if their insect host dies nearby.

The larvae are parasites that feed on the internal tissues of arthropods (such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles). As adults, they do not eat.

Larvae develop inside an insect host. When mature, they influence the host to seek water; once in water, the adult worm emerges to mate and lay eggs. They are known for knotting themselves into 'Gordian knots'.

They are harmless to humans, livestock, and pets. They are beneficial to the ecosystem as they help control populations of insects like crickets and grasshoppers.