hairworm
Thread-like aquatic parasite
Hairworms are long, slender parasitic worms that develop inside insects and other arthropods, eventually compelling their host to seek water, where the adult worm emerges to breed.
Also called horsehair worms or Gordian worms, they can grow remarkably long relative to their thread-thin diameter, sometimes exceeding a foot in length.
The name derives from an old folk belief that they spontaneously generated from horsehairs that fell into water troughs.
One receiving guests
- cricketChirping legged insect
- grasshopperJumping insect, long legs
- mantisInsect with grasping forelegs
- beetleHard-winged insect
infection · infestation · larvae · emergence · manipulation · parasitism · life-cycle · endoparasite
Non-saline aquatic environment
- pondSmall still body
- streamSteady continuous flow
- puddleShallow collected rainwater
- waterClear essential liquid
larvae · free-living · adult · mating · emergence · riparian · swimming · writhing
Resembling thin strands
- elongatedStretched beyond usual dimensions
- filamentVery thin thread
- wiryThin and muscular
- slenderThin and graceful
cylindrical · unsegmented · smooth · dark · brown · black · coiled · tangled
Major classification rank
- invertebrateAnimal sans backbone
- zoologyStudy of fauna
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
- speciesFinest taxonomic rank
host
One receiving guests
- cricketChirping legged insect
- grasshopperJumping insect, long legs
- mantisInsect with grasping forelegs
beetle · infection · infestation · larvae · emergence · manipulation · parasitism · life-cycle · endoparasite · zombie
freshwater
Non-saline aquatic environment
water · larvae · free-living · adult · mating · emergence · riparian · swimming · writhing · coiling
threadlike
Resembling thin strands
slender · cylindrical · unsegmented · smooth · dark · brown · black · coiled · tangled · knotted
phylum
Major classification rank
- invertebrateAnimal sans backbone
- zoologyStudy of fauna
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits