She may release the eggs in small sections, together, or in different groups. Then, the female horsehair worms lay millions of eggs in a freshwater source. Once the mating season ends, the male worm dies. They mate in groups and tie tight knots during the activity. It starts with adult horsehair worms mating. The lifecycle of this worm is quite interesting. They then live out their days in the water, laying eggs and restarting the cycle of life. Once it has grown completely, and the minute its host gets close to a water source, the larvae get out by crushing their body. On the other hand, horsehair worm larvae develop and mature in the body of the terrestrial host. Some can also be found in your home – sink, bathtub, toilet, garden, etc. You can find adult horsehair worms freely living alongside water bodies and aquatic environments, such as puddles, pools, ponds, lakes, marshes, streams, etc. There are more than 300 species of horsehair worms, and each has a preference for a different potential host, including grasshoppers, cockroaches, centipedes, crickets, and more. It absorbs the nutrients from the skin of the host. The horsehair worm larvae, however, grow and develop by consuming the nutrients from the body of its host. So, their digestive system doesn’t function, and thus, they do not feed anything but lay eggs in freshwater. The primary purpose of adult horsehair worms is reproduction before they die.
They mature in the body cavity of host insects.
Horsehair worms are parasitic but are harmless to humans, plants, and animals. They also look like Gordian knots, named after the Greek legend that the King Gordius of Phrygia used to tie intricate knots. These curious creatures are often found in a contorted position, which makes them look like a loose ball of thread. They are referred to as horsehair worms because they are as thin as a horse’s hair. However, they are much longer (about 4 inches or more) and found in water bodies, such as ponds, sinks, bathtubs, puddles of rainwater, toilets, and alongside lakes and rivers. Horsehair worms come from the family of Nematomorpha and look similar to nematodes.
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