How Things Look on Instagram: "A horsehair worm is a long, thin parasite that spends part of its life inside insects such as crickets or praying mantises. When it reaches adulthood it no longer needs its host and seeks to return to water where it can reproduce. The dramatic part of this life cycle is when the worm finally leaves the insect’s body, often when the host is near a wet area. The exit looks shocking because the worm can be many times longer than the insect it lived inside. It wriggles

Discovering Worms: A Bird's Talents Unveiled

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𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘| 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎 | 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇 on Instagram: "You’re describing horsehair worms (also called Gordian worms, phylum Nematomorpha). 🪱 Larval stage: They live inside insects like mantises, crickets, or grasshoppers, quietly consuming nutrients without killing the host right away. 🧠 Behavior manipulation: When mature, they chemically or neurologically manipulate their host’s behavior, pushing it toward water. 🌊 Emergence: The worm then bursts out into the water, often fatally injuring or