A superstition once surrounding this species claimed that the worms in water troughs and puddles had miraculously come to life from the long, thin hairs of a horse's mane or tail that had fallen into the water. Horsehair worms resemble hairs from horses actively moving in the water. The worm absorbs nutrients directly through the body wall and lives for 2 or 3 months before emerging to start the cycle over. Cysts eaten by a grasshopper or cricket dissolve inside the insect gut, allowing the juvenile worm to bore through the gut wall and into the host's body cavity. Larvae that hatch from the eggs swim in the water until they are ingested when insects come to the water to drink, or the newly hatched larvae form cysts on plants near the water. The worms often squirm and twist in the water, knotting themselves into a loose, ball-like shape, resembling the "Gordian Knot." Another name for the horsehair worm is the Gordian worm.Īdult horsehair worms hibernate through the winter and lay millions of eggs in the water after mating in the spring. Horsehair worms are white when they first emerge from the host's body but turn yellowish-tan to brownish-black after a short time.
Insects infected with horsehair worms die as a result of the parasite. At the water, the horsehair worm emerges from the insect's body and swims away, an essential step in the life cycle of this internal parasite. Parasitized crickets are thirsty and go to water to drink. This internal parasite of insects does not harm humans, animals, or plants. Amazingly, the entire horsehair worm grew and developed as a parasite inside the body cavity of crickets and other large insects such as grasshoppers, katydids, beetles, and cockroaches. Horsehair worms are very long (4 to 14 inches) and very narrow in diameter (1/25 to 1/16 inch wide). They may also be found on damp garden soil or vegetable plants after rain. The horsehair worms are interesting threadlike roundworms that resemble the "hair of a horse's tail or mane." These long, active worms may be observed in streams and ponds during late summer or fall but are more commonly noticed in domestic water containers such as bird baths, swimming pools, water troughs, pet dishes, sinks, bathtubs, and toilets.
They are harmless to plants, people, and pets.Horsehair worms are mildly beneficial because a small percentage of crickets, grasshoppers, and other insects are infected and killed.Horsehair worms are also called Gordian worms because they resemble the "Gordian Knot" of ancient Greek legend.Long and slender parasitic roundworms of crickets and other large insects are occasionally present in pet dishes and other water containers.
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