Horsehair worm

Bodies of water like streams, ponds, puddles, and sometimes water bowls or swimming pools

Larvae are parasites of insects (crickets, grasshoppers, beetles); adults do not eat and live only to reproduce

Larvae develop inside a host insect and influence its behavior to seek water; once the host reaches water, the adult worm emerges to mate

Harmless to humans, pets, and plants; they help control populations of some insects like crickets and grasshoppers