Horsehair worm

Damp environments, standing water, and inside the bodies of insect hosts (crickets, grasshoppers, beetles).

As larvae, they are endoparasites consuming the tissues of their insect hosts; adults do not eat as they lack a functional digestive system.

They exhibit 'mind control' over their hosts, inducing them to seek water and jump in so the adult worm can emerge to mate. They are often found in tangled 'Gordian knots' during reproduction.

They are harmless to humans, pets, and plants. They are beneficial to the ecosystem by helping control populations of crickets and other insects.