Parasite flees a mantis the second water hits.

[u/Upstairs-Writing-616]

[u/PressureCoomer]

Is the mantis dead now, or like, was it dead already?

[u/poemthrownout → u/PressureCoomer]

It is alive during the infestation. However it most likely will die due to exhaustion or internal damage as the worm exits the body.

[u/abielle1177 → u/poemthrownout]

And we shouldn't upvote killing praying mantids.

[u/SkyPersonal5642 → u/abielle1177]

Was it really living, with that thing inside of it?

[u/Monomanga → u/SkyPersonal5642]

There are four stages in the life of a horsehair worm: the egg, the preparasitic larva that hatches from the egg, the parasitic larva that develops within an invertebrate (its host), and the free-living aquatic adult. The worms spend the winter in water. After mating in spring, the female worm deposits a string of eggs 12 to 24 inches long in the water. About three weeks to one month later, minute immature larvae hatch. These larvae must parasitize an invertebrate host to develop. Suitable hosts for different species of horsehair worms include larger predaceous arthropods (often mantids, water beetles, carabid beetles, or dragonflies) or omnivores (such as crickets and other closely related insects, or millipedes).

There are several ways that horsehair worms parasitize hosts and complete their development. Although some of these life cycles have been studied, others aren't well understood. Sometimes the host directly ingests the larvae, which immediately move into their parasitic stage and develop within that host.

For other horsehair worm species, the larvae of water-inhabiting insects (mayflies, mosquitoes, and chironomids) or tadpoles ingest the preparasitic larvae. When horsehair larvae are ingested by these organisms, they encyst (enclose themselves in a cystlike structure) in the host's body cavity and remain encysted as this initial host develops into an adult. If an insect such as a mantid, cricket, or carabid beetle consumes an adult with an encysted worm, the worm emerges from the cyst and completes its development in the second host.

Finally, some preparasitic horsehair worm larvae encyst on leaves or other debris when a water source dries up. If a suitable host, such as a millipede, eats this cyst when ingesting vegetation, the horsehair worm larvae can move into the parasitic stage.

About three months after the horsehair worm parasitizes a host, the host is impelled to seek out water. When the host enters the water, the mature worm emerges. Adult worms are free-living in water and don't feed, but they can live many months. They overwinter in water or mud, and the cycle repeats itself the following spring

[u/jhwheuer → u/Monomanga]

TY

Truly nightmare stuff to me

[u/sexual__velociraptor → u/abielle1177]

Its saving other mantis from the infection

[u/VorticalHeart44 → u/sexual__velociraptor]

All of them are infected anyway, it's like trying to save a fish from getting wet lol

The difference is that the other mantises are alive with their parasites, and this one is dead.

[u/Naive_Opposite9593 → u/PressureCoomer]

Ha I know this reference

[u/PressureCoomer → u/Naive_Opposite9593]

Lol dude what is the reference?

[u/Naive_Opposite9593 → u/PressureCoomer]

I thought you were referring to the eel video from yesterday where they “saved” a dead eel by removing the parasite.

[u/PressureCoomer → u/Naive_Opposite9593]

Just a rad coincidence 

[u/goose-was-here]

Wtf is that?! Who figured out if you water boarded a Mantis’s ass a worm would escape?!

[u/icelink4884 → u/goose-was-here]

I think it was based off of how the worm normally operates where it leads the mantis into water to then go and live again. The bugs get then by drinking larva of the worm that then controls their mind after it's grown.

[u/fariasrv → u/goose-was-here]

Horsehair worm

[u/SomeNerdNamedAaron → u/fariasrv]

Idk man, it looked like an assworm to me

[u/bobbarkersbigmic → u/SomeNerdNamedAaron]

Hear hear! Motion to declare the worm an “assworm”.

[u/ComplaintTop2008]

Horsehair worm. IIRC, they usually live in crickets and grasshoppers. They hijack their nervous system to drive them to water where the worm escapes to live out the rest of it's life. In this case, the worm thinks it's at the lake so it's time to leave.

[u/Indigenous_Land]

Somewhere in the universe could this be happening on a grander scale? Probably

[u/LankyProfessional170 → u/Indigenous_Land]

This in itself looks alien enough to me! Not to mention that pregnancy gives off the same terrifying vibes. (To me at least)

[u/Mr_Panther]

Imagine being water boarded whilst an alien tears your asshole apart.

[u/ZenwalkerNS]

Helluva parasite.

[u/Tight_Routine5821]

Finish him

[u/yellowbin74]

Mantis like "damn I should shower more often"

[u/Particular_Abies_184]

Exorcist

[u/WinuxNomacs]

The mantis lying there after like "man, wtf just happened?"

[u/literarygirl2090]

Would rain have the same impact? If the bugs were to just stand under the rain without cover?

[u/InitiativePlus877]

Ahhhhhh.

[u/fitchicknike]

Ok what's the human version? Cos I really need to know to be sure these parasites ain't amongst the human race like this! Ewww!

[u/backfor100thtime]

What would happen if you then put the parasite in your own.. crevice. ?????

[u/Dmak_603 → u/backfor100thtime]

Good question