Horsehair worm adults are named due to their being common in horse water troughs and being similar in size and color to the hair of horses. The adult horsehair worm then emerges into the water to reproduce. When ready to emerge, the adult worm somehow causes the dying host to plunge itself into water, an action that would likely cause the terrestrial insect to drown. Adult worms are large enough compared to the size of the host insect that they fill most of interior of the insect when fully grown. The larvae feed inside the insect, maturing into adult worms. It is assumed that the larvae are ingested while these terrestrial insects are drinking, but these insects primarily obtain their moisture from their food and dew, where the infective larvae are unlikely to be found. These larvae find their way into crickets, grasshoppers, or cockroaches by means that are not understood. Male and female worms shed their gametes (sperm and eggs) into the water where fertilization takes place.įertilized eggs hatch into infective larvae that are aquatic like their parents. These are adult worms that have emerged from their insect hosts to reproduce. They are very slender, whitish to dark brown, nematode-like worms usually four to seven inches long. Horsehair worms are being found in mud puddles and road ruts after rains.
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