Horsehair Worm

Found in fresh water sources like ponds, streams, puddles, and water troughs; adults are aquatic, while larvae are internal parasites of insects.

Larvae are parasites that absorb nutrients through their body wall from the host's fluid; adults do not feed.

They are famous for 'mind control'—the larva develops inside a host (like a cricket or beetle) and eventually manipulates the host to jump into water, where the adult worm emerges to mate.

They pose no risk to humans, pets, or plants; they are considered beneficial to ecosystems as they help regulate populations of crickets, grasshoppers, and beetles.