The larvae of these worms develop as parasites within the gut of an invertebrate host, usually a beetle, cricket, or mantid. Though they certainly can look like animated hair, the reality of their life cycle is perhaps even more curious than the myth. A common but incorrect misconception is that these worms are horsehairs brought to life after falling into water. Some have been recorded up to six feet long.
They are slender worms, 1/25 to 1/8 inch wide, but oftentimes reach a foot in length. I discovered that the worm was a horsehair worm. I was excited to see photos of a worm that I had never heard or seen anything about. About a week ago, I was brought some particularly interesting photos of a long and skinny worm found in a puddle near North Pines Campground.
Horsehair worms may be found inside homes in toilets causing people to be concerned that it is a human parasite.I am often approached in the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center with oddities found while exploring Yosemite National Park. They are especially noticeable after a rainfall. Horsehair worms are often seen in puddles and other pools of fresh water, swimming pools, water tanks and on plants. When the horsehair worm is mature and near water or damp soil, it emerges from its host. When they infect their host, horsehair worms store up fats and food reserves. It is not clear how immature horsehair worms infect hosts. They can attack a wide variety of insects and related animals: grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches, beetles, and katydids, as well as dragonflies, caddisflies, millipedes, centipedes, spiders, crustaceans, leeches, snails, slugs and other invertebrates. Once they hatch, immature horsehair worms try to infect a host. Eggs are laid in a long, gelatinous string in fresh water. It is common to see a number of worms to be intertwined, forming a loose ball during mating. 
Males coil around females in pools of fresh water or damp soil.Horsehair worms mate during spring, early summer or fall.
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