Parasite resembling hair takes over insects and turns them into zombies, experts say
Imagine finding a stray hair — then watching it slither away like a snake.
Video of such a creature was shared this week on Facebook by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which identified the creepy crawler as a horsehair worm and reported the species is every bit as unnerving as it appears.
The worms are a parasite that behave like a cross between a demon and an alien, possessing a host and commanding it like a puppet, the service reported.
This is accomplished by laying eggs in water and waiting for an unsuspecting insect to drink the larval worms, experts said. Once inside a host, the horsehair worm grows undetected until it is ready to emerge in violent fashion.
“It will take over the host insect ... like a zombie,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wrote.
“Then, the now adult horsehair worm will burst out of the insect’s abdomen, a la the chest burster in ‘Alien.’ ... This is a basic description, it’s a bit more complicated but SO interesting!”
The worms are “harmless to humans and pets,” the service says — which is good news considering how tough the critters are to spot.
“We don’t see them often because they live inside insects most of their lives,” the wildlife service wrote. “They can be easily overlooked, mistaken for a plant vine, or trash, or even horse hairs.”
The Jan. 25 post has amassed hundreds of reactions, shares and comments, including from people who said they were “freaked out” and got the shivers.
“Horrifying and cool at the same time — thanks, I think,” one woman wrote.
“Why thank you for the creepy crawly feeling I have now,” another said.
The parasites grow up to 14 inches long and “vary in color from whitish to yellow/tan to brown/black,” according to the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
“Horsehair worms are often seen in puddles and other pools of fresh water, swimming pools, water tanks and on plants,” the extension service says. “Horsehair worms may be found inside homes in toilets causing people to be concerned that it is a human parasite.
Coincidentally, the worms’ very fitting name refers to folklore that insisted they were born “from horse hairs that fell into water and came to life,” according to the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky.
This story was originally published January 26, 2021 at 12:40 PM with the headline "Parasite resembling hair takes over insects and turns them into zombies, experts say."