Horsehair worm

Found in freshwater habitats such as ponds, streams, puddles, and water troughs, as well as damp soil; often emerge near water after leaving a host.

Adults do not eat. Larvae are parasites that feed on the internal tissues and fluids of host insects such as crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, and cockroaches.

Larvae enter a host insect and grow internally. When the host is near water, the adult worm emerges through the host's body wall. Often found in coiled, tangled masses resembling 'Gordian knots'.

They are harmless to humans, livestock, and plants. They provide an ecosystem benefit by naturally controlling populations of certain insects like crickets and grasshoppers.