One summer long ago I participated in an informal survey of the grasshopper population to determine the rate of infection. Horsehair worms are common parasites of those insects. In fact, it is associated not with horses at all, but with beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers. For this reason-it takes on a more horsey hue–it is given another name, horsehair worm, perhaps in the mistaken belief that it originates from horses come to drink at watering troughs. It may be iridescent white if it has recently appeared, but rapidly turns a dark brown as time passes. Perhaps not as intricate as the real Gordian knot, the Gordian worm nevertheless displays a formidable tangle, its length sometimes stretching to 36 inches or more. Horsehair worms are harmless to humans… but not crickets. ![]() After a few futile attempts he simply took out his sword and whacked it in two, presumably showing his contempt for that story. As some readers may remember from school, Alexander the Great was confronted with the Gordian knot, having been told whoever untied it would rule the known world. In late summer in puddles, bird baths, pools, and even wet grass a long, thin writhing worm can sometimes be found, often coiling in extravagant knots, that behavior explaining one of its names, the gordian worm.
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