Horsehair worm

Damp or aquatic environments such as streams, ponds, puddles, and cattle troughs; the larvae are parasites of terrestrial insects.

Larvae are internal parasites that absorb nutrients from the body cavity of insect hosts (like crickets or beetles). Adults do not eat.

They exhibit a complex life cycle where the larvae develop inside an insect host. When mature, the worm manipulates the host's behavior to seek water, where the worm then emerges to mate and lay eggs.

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