Community identification
Horsehair worm
Gordius robustus (and other species in the phylum Nematomorpha)
- Order & Family
- Order: Gordioidea; Family: Gordiidae
- Size
- Typically 10 to 35 centimeters in length, but as thin as a piece of thread (1 to 3 millimeters wide).
Natural Habitat
Freshwater environments such as ponds, streams, puddles, and water troughs; adults are free-living in water, while larvae are internal parasites of insects.
Diet & Feeding
Larvae are internal parasites that absorb nutrients from the body fluids of hosts like crickets and grasshoppers; adults do not eat.
Behavior Patterns
They have a complex life cycle where the larvae develop inside an insect host. When mature, they manipulate the host's brain to seek water. Once the host enters water, the adult worm emerges to mate and lay eggs.
Risks & Benefits
They are completely harmless to humans, pets, and plants. They are beneficial to the ecosystem as they help control populations of insects like crickets, grasshoppers, and beetles.