Horsehair Worm
Scientific Name: Gordius sp. (Gordiacea)
Order & Family: Order Gordioidea, family Gordiidae
Size: Typically 10 to 35 centimeters (4 to 14 inches) long, but can reach up to 1 meter.
Natural Habitat
Freshwater environments such as ponds, streams, troughs, and occasionally damp soil or pools after rain.
Diet & Feeding
Larvae are internal parasites of arthropods (crickets, grasshoppers, beetles); adults do not eat as they lack functional digestive systems.
Behavior Patterns
The larvae develop inside a host's body; once mature, they manipulate the host to seek water. The adult emerges in water to mate and lay eggs, often appearing in tangled knots.
Risks & Benefits
Harmless to humans, livestock, and plants. They are beneficial to ecosystems by naturally controlling populations of certain insects like crickets and grasshoppers.
Identified on: 2/8/2026