Weird, Mysterious Worm: What Is It?
Spotted this in the front yard, around noon. Earlier in the morning, we had a pretty heavy thunderstorm… and the ground was pretty wet at this time (though it was slightly drizzling).
Not sure what this guy is. He seems way to small/thin to be an actual earthworm. Liz spotted him, and at first I thought it was a small leaf stuck on a spiderweb. But it’s definitely a worm of some kind. Liz has a theory it’s a tapeworm, but neither of us has a clue what this guy really is.
The only distinguishing features I can remember is that it was darker in the middle – and lighter on the ends. The front and back were a much lighter white/yellow color.
Anyone have any ideas?
Related:
The Worms Crawl In, the Worms Crawl Out
Can Anyone Identify These Three Greek Mythological Faces on My Fireplace?
Can You Identify This Bug?
The Billion Bug Highway Above Your Head
Is this what it looked like http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2094208/super-thin-long-worm-friend-or-pest
Ugh.
Miki (June 9, 2015 at 12:25 am)http://www.wired.com/2014/05/absurd-creature-horsehair-worm/
Those huge nightcrawlers in the background of your vid don’t bother me but horsehair worms, shudder.
Hi Miki –
Thanks for the ID! I actually saw that shudder-inducing Wired article before, so I’m both happy and disturbed that I now recognize this thing. Glad it’s just parasitic to insects. Yuck.
As a kid, I had a morbid fascination with parasitic insect relationships. The whole “wasp paralyzing a spider and laying eggs on it” thing was like Nature’s version of a horror movie. As an adult, I’ve found a similar morbid fascination in these parasites that seem to turn their hosts into (risk-taking) zombies.
I was really hoping someone would identify this guy, and thanks to you – we now know! Liz had the suggestion I Google “small worms,” but I had zero desire to expose myself to that kind of nightmare fuel. Glad you were able to help with the ID.
avoision (June 9, 2015 at 9:50 am)