Horsehair Worm - Nematomorpha

[ladylouise62]

I was in the living room when I noticed a movement from the corner of my eye. A long piece of white cotton seemed to be waving from the top of one of the plants. It turns out that it was a Horsehair worm. They normally live in water, but can appear in damp weather (and as you can see, it was damp), and wave from the the top of plants... although no-one is quite sure why. Because this one is white it would have just emerged as it would normally be a shade of brown.
They apparently parasitise beetles and grasshoppers (from eggs, not from grown worms) and when ready to emerge they make the creature thirsty and as it falls into the water the worm leaves the body. Wierd!!!!

[rolf]

That's a weird one, you did well to see and photograph it.

[ladylouise62]

Honestly, I couldn't miss the movement. I was trying to watch the TV and I kept catching it from the corner of my eye.

[Billy]

wow how cool i did a course on parsitiology and i love parasites!! good spot...

[ladylouise62]

They are fascinating, aren't they? Icky when they want to inhabit humans, but fascinating

[Billy]

lou my better half scream and went i hope she bleached it...

[Catherine]

I've not heard that name before. I've just known them as Thunderworms as they usually appear after a thunderstorm, when all is damp and muggy. (You can read more about them here;
Nature note: thunderworm - Telegraph)

I saw one last in Ayr, on an azalea and reaching high towards a climbing rose. It was quite spooky-looking. It stretched high in the air and its body spiralled around as it tried to reach its goal. I guess it was wanting to go there to lay its eggs ready for the next host to eat them... Yeuk!

That's a really great capture, Louise!

[ladylouise62]

Ooh, another name! Thanks Catherine. I do vaguely remember seeing these before, but not for a VERY long time.. and I certainly never had a name for them. It's fascinating how many ways of living there are in this world.
I'm so pleased it waved at me