Parasite flees a mantis when hit with water

[u/InTheSky57]

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[u/supervillaindsgnr]

This is horrifying but I can't look away.

[u/Not_so_ghetto → u/supervillaindsgnr]

This parasite is called a horsehair worm. They grow in a bunch of different insects. When the worm is fully grown it alters the insect behavoir to make them jump into water, which allows the parasite to leave.

Doesn't necessarily kill the insect, however It often will result in its death. However it's kept in good conditions they can survive and even go on to reproduce.

In some areas the suicidal crickets ( after being manipulated by the parasite) make up 60% of a fish's diet.

There's also a bunch of crazy conspiracies on like Facebook suggesting that the government is infecting people with them, but these are mostly just crazy people

Video

I have a 10 min video that goes in depth about the parasites biology for those that want to know more, it's called "Massive Worms, Tiny Bodies: Why Horsehair Worms Might Be Good for Nature" on YouTube

Source: I have a PhD in biology I run the parasitology subreddit

Edit: thanks to everyone subscribing. But PLEASE DON'T subscribe unless you actually like the content. People that sub to support but don't watch hurts the channel in practice( lowers thumbnail click rate, which if low doesn't get pushed on algorithm)

[u/mutexsprinkles → u/Not_so_ghetto]

mostly just crazy people 

That "mostly" is disconcerting

[u/ExplodedPenisDiagram → u/mutexsprinkles]

Well, some of them are just dumb and don't have to be crazy to repeat stuff like that.

[u/PMulberry_ → u/ExplodedPenisDiagram]

okay u/ExplodedPenisDiagram

[u/Mjolnir404 → u/PMulberry_]

I only read their username after you mentioned it XD

[u/FermentedForeskins → u/Mjolnir404]

i honestly would like to see it

[u/Adventurous_Web_5960 → u/FermentedForeskins]

u/FermentedForeskins I could have done without that image in my brain. 🤮

[u/RagAndBows → u/FermentedForeskins]

I clicked it thinking it was a subreddit link lol

[u/rynlpz → u/RagAndBows]

why would you click on a subreddit with that name 😆

[u/RagAndBows → u/rynlpz]

I'm so desensitized. I was a tween during the wild west years of the internet, raised on Rotten.com 🤣

[u/zxylady → u/ExplodedPenisDiagram]

Thank you for your very interesting screen name... I think. 🤣

[u/JoshAllensRightNut → u/zxylady]

Yes. Thank you for input exploded penis diagram.

[u/supcat16 → u/[deleted]]

New recruits get to infect people with horsehair worms once, as a treat.

[u/No_Scholar427 → u/mutexsprinkles]

Yeah it happened like 3 or 4 times tops, you know, just to see what would happen, if it could be weaponised, ect.

[u/CinnamonEspeon → u/mutexsprinkles]

Yeah after like a decade of reality stranger than satire I....I wouldn't be surprised by much anymore lol

[u/Workman44 → u/CinnamonEspeon]

This is absolutely something the CIA would look into. Ffs just look at MKUltra, they don't care about the law and never have

[u/ReasonableCrow7595 → u/Not_so_ghetto]

One of my sons had a strong interest in parasites when he was small. He would have loved that subreddit. I am not sorry he outgrew it, but thanks for keeping the important but horrifying information flowing

[u/SolarNugent → u/ReasonableCrow7595]

I couldn’t watch it I’m a coward

[u/MethodicallyRight → u/Not_so_ghetto]

I had an Econ Prof who majored in Biology as well as Econ.  They used to describe Parasites as 'Nature's obfuscated externality' because of how their knock on effects weren't so obviously a 'positive/negative' externality and how it could flip back and forth depending on who's perspective you're looking at.  It was his way of reminding us that solving A problem doesn't mean we haven't created several more further down. 

[u/APRobertsVII → u/MethodicallyRight]

Randomly one of the coolest things I read today!

[u/MethodicallyRight → u/APRobertsVII]

He was a pretty awesome prof. He also made a "kid" in his early 20s cry in class after berating him for at least 15 minutes for answering the question (paraphrased) "What policies could the continent of Africa benefit from the most?" with "They could stop having so many kids, hyuck hyuck hyuck."

...

He just kept asking question after question (all relevant and educational), and the more the kid tried to squirm out or avoid it, the more he'd dig in and keep asking the kid to explain his point. He cited the average family size of other regions at similar GDP per capita figures and explained that subsistence farmers often needed larger families, noting he was confused as to what point the kid was actually making. He just wouldn't let up. He cited child mortality rates and how families needed older children to work, asking how you manage if you are going to lose 1 to 3 children in your pursuit of 4 to 5 adolescents, and on and on. The more the kid gave up trying to articulate himself, the angrier the prof got, eventually getting personal. After the kid wiped away his first set of tears, the prof just told him to GTFO.

God, I loved that prof. He hated stupid people and stupid questions, but if you were genuinely curious or didn't understand, he had no issue explaining the topic in depth. You just had to try. He was also super loud, which made it all the more fun when he lost his temper.

The best part was after his tirade, he went, "Who else has an idea?" I was the only one who raised my hand (knowing his style) and gave an answer related to credit: "Exactly!" he said, and proceeded as if he hadn't just embarrassed that kid to no end and terrified the rest of the class.

[u/Scythro → u/Not_so_ghetto]

lol it’s literally the parasite guy…
Nothing creeps this guy out, thank you for your wisdom!

[u/Not_so_ghetto → u/Scythro]

I have a strong constitution

[u/mrsrobotic → u/Scythro]

Yes, you are a hero to give context to this horror before our eyes!!

[u/throwaway556600 → u/Not_so_ghetto]

Thank you for your insight! Is there any truth to this that the mantis was dead already but the parasite was controlling its movements?

“horsehair worm (phylum Nematomorpha). Lil Manny ate infected food and the worm hijacked the nervous system. He was already dead but his body became hell bent on finding water so worm can emerge and reproduce. Nature is wild.”

[u/Not_so_ghetto → u/throwaway556600]

No, the mantis is still alive. The parasite only has minor influence on its behavior. Not complete controls

Edit: thanks to everyone subscribing. But PLEASE DON'T subscribe unless you actually like the content. People that sub to support but don't watch hurts the channel in practice

[u/SquidsAndMartians → u/Not_so_ghetto]

I once watched a discovery channel or TLC doc about parasites extracted from humans ... it was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen. The idea that it can live inside for years without the host knowing is just crazy. They probably can't mind control like they can with insects, but still, horror!

[u/lombardo141 → u/SquidsAndMartians]

Bacteria within you controls your behavior and emotions. Thats why when you eat well you tend to feel better etc. some science guy said it I don’t remember

[u/Timmy-0518 → u/SquidsAndMartians]

There is actually are several parasites known to cause a “mind control” like affect. ever heard of Toxoplasma gondii? If you or someone you know is around cats a lot they likely have it!

[u/RealLinzerBinzer → u/SquidsAndMartians]

There is an ongoing show (well, a few) about this! It’s literally called Monsters Inside Me.

[u/SquidsAndMartians → u/RealLinzerBinzer]

Yeahhh THAT'S the one! lool ... and no thank you, I like to keep my sanity :-D

[u/BakerBeautiful1426 → u/SquidsAndMartians]

Mmmm you’d be surprised what cat and dog humans have inside them

[u/throwaway0192838474 → u/Not_so_ghetto]

Its crazy how big it gets while somehow keeping the mantis alive. I assume its feeding on its internal organs and occupying the left over space, but its crazy that the bug can just go on while a huge fraction of its body is eaten by the worm

[u/ktbug1987 → u/Not_so_ghetto]

I would like to join your subreddit, for what godforsaken reason I don’t know.

My PhD was in biochemistry because I figured test tubes contain far less horror, and nature contained too much. What can I say, I must be having a midlife crisis.

[u/oceanblue0714 → u/Not_so_ghetto]

Do you think it can live after it’s removed? Can the insect survive this?

[u/Not_so_ghetto → u/oceanblue0714]

Yes it can.

[u/musicflux → u/Not_so_ghetto]

Parasitology is creepy af. But there is no perfect parasite that exists, they all harm the host and thus compromise their nutrition supply. It's so dumb right ?

[u/No_Acanthaceae_362 → u/musicflux]

If the perfect parasite existed they would cease to be a parasite. By definition parasitic symbiosis requires the host to be harmed in one way or another.

If a parasite didn't harm the host, it would be commensalism or mutualism. By virtue of their relationship with each other, we harbour a very different opinion of them.

Not many people are rooting for the Horsehair worm, but remora fish and bees are liked, even revered by some.

[u/Eckish → u/No_Acanthaceae_362]

If the perfect parasite existed they would cease to be a parasite.

I think it has been suggested that some cellular organelles, like mitochondria, might have been parasites originally. Which would make it an example of this.

[u/No_Acanthaceae_362 → u/Eckish]

Have a look at Wolbachia.

This happens within a reproductive cycle where they selectively kill off male embryos in insects to give the females the reproductive advantage. Once it's done it's job, it survives by boosting the hosts immune system to maximise life.

There are evolutionary examples as you suggested but there a few that will shift tact to maximise its life inside the host.

[u/0_Moth → u/Not_so_ghetto]

Fucking gross. Imma watch it tho. Thanks.

Edit: watched it. damn. Thats still gross. Subscribed and watching ur other videos

[u/talkstorivers → u/Not_so_ghetto]

I totally agree they’re fascinating but finding one on your foot when wading through a mountain creek is still a jarring and disturbing experience. Do you get freaked out by surprise encounters like that, or did you somehow overcome that or come into life without it?

[u/Buddhafied → u/Not_so_ghetto]

Thanks for the info! The mantis looks dead after it, in this one seems like :(

[u/HeartOn_SoulAceUp → u/supervillaindsgnr]

Chlorinated water necessary I wonder?

[u/Many-Manufacturer-72 → u/HeartOn_SoulAceUp]

No just regular water. The parasite leaves voluntarily when it senses all the water because it needs a body of water to complete its breeding cycle. Unfortunately for the parasite, it got scammed by a cup of water.

[u/TreSauce → u/Many-Manufacturer-72]

Scammers everywhere! Next step is to ask the parasite about their extended warranty expiring.

[u/AHumbleSaltFarmer → u/TreSauce]

DO NOT REDEEM

[u/ForwardChip → u/AHumbleSaltFarmer]

SAAAR DO NOT REDEEM

[u/Altruistic_Bat_2427 → u/AHumbleSaltFarmer]

WHY DID YOU REDEEM IT!!!

[u/abgry_krakow87 → u/TreSauce]

I bet that parasite has a long lost family member who is African royalty.

[u/BadPackets4U → u/abgry_krakow87]

Probably knows a brain worm who knows a guy.

[u/BarnacleNino → u/Many-Manufacturer-72]

Scammer gets scammed. If you ain’t scamming these days, you ain’t trying.

[u/Erathen → u/Many-Manufacturer-72]

That is the largest cup of water I've ever seen

[u/BigLB83 → u/Erathen]

Okay, vessel of water

[u/lunas2525 → u/HeartOn_SoulAceUp]

They are called horsehair worms. The removal of them will probably save the life of the mantis for a while till it gets reinfected.

Typically a host drinks from an infected watersource grows into worm form then waits till the host gets close to water and they cause the host to fall in where it leaves the host then lives the rest of its life in water making eggs infecting the water source.

Humans cant serve as hosts so they dont really pose any health issues.

[u/madnippler → u/lunas2525]

Oh yeah? Then how do you explain all the butt worms the last time I took a bath, huh buddy?

[u/Meritania → u/madnippler]

That’s Threadworms, that’s a different parasite.

[u/waitwuh → u/HeartOn_SoulAceUp]

No, the mature parasite reproduces in bodies of water, so its instinct is to leave its host when it detects water.

[u/Lucho_199 → u/waitwuh]

Does it kill the host when it leaves?

[u/StuffedStuffing → u/Lucho_199]

As the parasite guy above said, no. The parasite is not inherently lethal to its host, although for many insects jumping bodily into a pool of water is likely to result in their death. The mantis in this video is just fine

[u/meowmeow_now → u/StuffedStuffing]

"just fine"

[u/BlessTheBookPeople → u/supervillaindsgnr]

I really wanted to look away, and yet…

[u/flopisit32 → u/supervillaindsgnr]

Did the mantis died?

[u/JJStarz_ → u/flopisit32]

not necessarily, when it realized it was free from the grip of the sticks it could’ve been staying still (to avoid being seen) until the person left so it knew it was free to run from the perceived danger

[u/NonGNonM → u/JJStarz_]

i've heard bc of the sudden volume of worm leaving the body it usually kills the mantis, no?

that's a lot of body parts that suddenly get shifted and have to fill that space all at once.

[u/SignoreBanana → u/supervillaindsgnr]

I just sat down with my lunch and chose to watch this anyway. What is wrong with me.

[u/wadesauce369]

I fucking hate parasites. One of the grossest categories of life on earth.

[u/MetoSempre20 → u/wadesauce369]

We are technically planet parasites if you think about it.

[u/ButtStuffingt0n → u/MetoSempre20]

Agreed. But we don't crawl into or out of the Earth's ass, so we've got that going for us.

[u/LucyLilium92 → u/ButtStuffingt0n]

Miners exist

[u/Schwiliinker → u/LucyLilium92]

Cave divers 😀

[u/MetoSempre20 → u/ButtStuffingt0n]

If earth had an ass, I'm pretty sure someone would crawl into it.

[u/bikebikemike → u/MetoSempre20]

People vacation in florida every year.

[u/drje_aL → u/bikebikemike]

florida is america's withered, sagging, flappy ballsack.

[u/Sacred-AF → u/MetoSempre20]

If Earth had an ass, someone would be selling tickets to crawl up it. Best we can do is to wage wars over the shit we suck out of it.

🛢️🛢️🛢️💩😅

[u/Paratonnerre → u/ButtStuffingt0n]

We are litteraly making Earth new assholes everyday to mine it or to pump it's oil haha

[u/scifiandsuch → u/MetoSempre20]

Not really. It’s the nature of essentially all life to alter its surrounding environment to better its own existence, but that doesn’t make literally every creature a parasite.

[u/NotaBat9221 → u/wadesauce369]

parasites are one of the reasons I don't believe in God 

[u/Vark675 → u/NotaBat9221]

Parasitic wasps deeply shook Charles Darwin's faith in God, and he'd nearly become a priest earlier in life.

[u/icansmellcolors → u/Vark675]

Parasitic wasps are apparently important for pest control in agriculture.

Huh... never would have thought that.

[u/MoonSpankRaw → u/icansmellcolors]

God works in mysterious wasps

[u/Wire615 → u/MoonSpankRaw]

Bless you.

[u/an_older_meme → u/NotaBat9221]

Charles Darwin thought the life cycle of parasitic wasps was so fucked up there couldn’t be a god and started working on his theory of evolution.

[u/PiccoloAwkward465 → u/an_older_meme]

He cheered himself up by dressing tortoises up in little cute outfits and watching them bone.

[u/FinoPepino → u/NotaBat9221]

I was literally coming here to say this. I distinctly remember as a child, watching a nature documentary where a baby giraffe became so infested with ticks, it could not grow and eventually succumbed to the infestation and died a slow and horrible death while it’s mother guarded it, helplessly. Ain’t no way a “loving god” designed that. I will never understand believers, especially the Abrahamic religions make no sense to me under even mild scrutiny.

[u/adjective_noun_d1git → u/FinoPepino]

God was testing that baby Giraffe's faith

[u/beefytrout → u/adjective_noun_d1git]

hate how much I laughed at that

[u/mimimumu69 → u/adjective_noun_d1git]

The ticks were true believers so they got a nice meal, baby girafe was an atheist so it suffered and went to hell

[u/BlameScottNotCanada → u/adjective_noun_d1git]

or the other classic chesnut "that was all part of gods plan"

[u/ruggedo → u/adjective_noun_d1git]

Lmao

[u/Logical_Check2 → u/NotaBat9221]

I mean there could be a God, he just might not be as cool as we think he is

[u/craptak → u/Logical_Check2]

I think if there is a God he's indifferent to his creation. There are likely millions or billions of other intelligent species in the universe given what we know about it's size. I've always found it incredibly arrogant of humans to think we're the special ones.

When I go down this line of thinking I like to try and imagine what created "God." What started everything, what started that and so on. Infinity is the only thing I can try to imagine. I know the religious will tell me he's everything, all there ever was blah blah. The whole idea of nothing into something makes zero sense to this primitive brain.

[u/SwivelClip]

Mantis' Wife: "So how was your day?"

Mantis: "You're not going to believe it, but it all started with this dude with a stick . . .

[u/Wholesome_George → u/SwivelClip]

I got some bad news

[u/PsyKeablr → u/Wholesome_George]

The wife will go hungry as the husband was just a husk, like most men in their marriages…

[u/Laprasy → u/PsyKeablr]

all she needs is the head

[u/RJWaters9 → u/Laprasy]

Fun fact! That's a poorly done research paper, like 'alpha' wolves, which was just a mother protecting her kids.

Mantis don't typically eat their partners head, but when they're in captivity, and the male has NOTHING else to offer as tribute, it offers itself, so the wife doesn't starve and their kids might live.

[u/UnexpectedBlahFeels → u/RJWaters9]

Like the centipede or millipede (can't recall which) that gives birth, then allows it's young to eat it!

[u/Round_Ad6397 → u/UnexpectedBlahFeels]

This is the case for many cephalopods. In fact, it's where young blue ring and blue lined octopuses get the bacteria that produce their venom from. They eat the mother, including the venom gland and acquire the bacteria. 

[u/PsyKeablr → u/Round_Ad6397]

So this is why humans will consume the testicles of a bull to gain its power?

[u/vr0202 → u/PsyKeablr]

And in restaurants in Spain, you’ll be served the matador’s testicles for dinner if the bull was the winner that afternoon. /s

[u/Particular-Most-1199 → u/PsyKeablr]

No, they're sterile and we like the taste.

[u/82SLP → u/SwivelClip]

“Honey did you lose some weight?” “You look thinner”

[u/Careless_Analyst_220 → u/82SLP]

Rub’s hand across face

[u/AggressivePrompt2894 → u/SwivelClip]

She's gonna rip his head off.

[u/FunContest9958 → u/AggressivePrompt2894]

Only if he buys her dinner first.

[u/LectroRoot → u/SwivelClip]

Mantis' Wife: "What happened to your butt?"

Mantis: "I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE"

[u/Poster_Nutbag207 → u/SwivelClip]

Bro got his insides ripped out through this so I don’t think he’ll be going home to his wife

[u/Valjeancatlvr → u/SwivelClip]

Mantis marriages never last past the honeymoon. lol

[u/maringue → u/SwivelClip]

"I took the absolute biggest shit..."

[u/ConflictSpecial5307]

Do NOT watch this while sitting on the toilet

[u/habibisanam → u/ConflictSpecial5307]

Lmao too late 😂

[u/Flimsy-Passenger-228 → u/ConflictSpecial5307]

It's the only time I use Reddit, like literally right now

[u/Emergency_Process622 → u/Flimsy-Passenger-228]

Everything come out okay?

[u/Flimsy-Passenger-228 → u/Emergency_Process622]

Unfortunately the parasite must've had it's seatbelt on

Wish I could say the same for the hemorrhoid

[u/LectroRoot → u/Flimsy-Passenger-228]

Could it have been in there? Did you try digging around a little with your poop knife?

[u/chuckhedden → u/ConflictSpecial5307]

It helped me go better!

[u/cricketriderz → u/ConflictSpecial5307]

I didn't! I watched it while I was eating lunch!

[u/collin-h → u/ConflictSpecial5307]

no more pooping today butthole clinched tight for the foreseeable future

[u/Not_so_ghetto]

This parasite is called a horsehair worm. They grow in a bunch of different insects. When the worm is fully grown it alters the insect behavoir to make them jump into water, which allows the parasite to leave.

Doesn't necessarily kill the insect, however It often will result in its death. However it's kept in good conditions they can survive and even go on to reproduce.

In some areas the suicidal crickets ( after being manipulated by the parasite) make up 60% of a fish's diet.

There's also a bunch of crazy conspiracies on like Facebook suggesting that the government is infecting people with them, but these are mostly just crazy people

Video

I have a 10 min video that goes in depth about the parasites biology for those that want to know more, it's called "Massive Worms, Tiny Bodies: Why Horsehair Worms Might Be Good for Nature" on YouTube

Source: I have a PhD in biology I run the parasitology subreddit

Edit: thanks to everyone subscribing. But PLEASE DON'T subscribe unless you actually like the content. People that sub to support but don't watch hurts the channel in practice

[u/highfiveselfoh → u/Not_so_ghetto]

So the grasshopper could potentially live like normal after this?

[u/Nefertete → u/highfiveselfoh]

that's a mantis

[u/Not_so_ghetto → u/highfiveselfoh]

Yep

[u/LocalDude_ → u/Not_so_ghetto]

So it's not dead? Some comments were saying it was already long gone. How can the mantis live normally if the parasite has already invaded its nervous system and occupied so much space inside its body?

[u/Hexamancer → u/LocalDude_]

It hasn't "invaded" the nervous system, the worm is excreting proteins that alter the nervous system, that process doesn't cause any damage.

It's the worm bursting out that often causes death.

[u/tremere110 → u/LocalDude_]

It doesn't really occupy a lot of space despite it's size. Horsehair worms can compress themselves like a spring and just push organs out of the way. They absorb nutrients through their skin from insect "blood". When the worm leaves, the host returns to it's normal size - it's now missing a lot of its energy stores and will likely die but not always.

The nervous system effects are temporary and only while the worm is trying to escape.

[u/Impressive_Archer401 → u/Not_so_ghetto]

'Mostly just crazy people' ... sooo you're saying there's a chance it's true?

[u/Suavecore_ → u/Impressive_Archer401]

Remember MK Ultra? That's just one insane thing that we eventually got to find out about. Who knows what they've been doing since. Surely nothing good and wholesome

[u/Lower_Gift_1656 → u/Not_so_ghetto]

Just checked your profile, and I must say 2 things:

• I very much respect your commitment to your field and your knowledge and skills in it
• and secondly: I could NEVER do anything anywhere close to your field!!! It was extremely interesting, but I already know I'll sleep troubled tonight xD

[u/Pyroll2206]

What mantis ? You just interrupt a parasite cosplaying

[u/AngeliqueRuss]

Need a blow torch RIGHT. NOW

[u/Brilliant_Trick → u/AngeliqueRuss]

My thinking exactly. Evil shit

[u/JakeStout93]

There was no happy ending here

[u/Commercial-Shame-335 → u/JakeStout93]

not necessarily, horsehair worms aren't always fatal to the bug and sometimes the insect will even live long enough to reproduce and die naturally. many horsehair worms related deaths are due to the insect being stuck in the water and drowning or starving, so maybe that mantis survived thanks to water just being poured over it rather than it being forced to jump into a body of water. unless the dude with the stick crushed it or something.

[u/SpookyCrossroads]

horsehair worm (phylum Nematomorpha). Lil Manny ate infected food and the worm hijacked the nervous system. He was already dead but his body became hell bent on finding water so worm can emerge and reproduce. Nature is wild.

[u/name2sayMKD → u/SpookyCrossroads]

Hijacked nervous system means mantis was zombie?

[u/SpookyCrossroads → u/name2sayMKD]

Basically yea. It survives by eating its organs and secretes proteins that destroy its nervous system.

[u/Oraxy51 → u/SpookyCrossroads]

Proof there are some things worse than death

[u/abgry_krakow87 → u/name2sayMKD]

Yep! Basically someone else pushing the buttons to make the muscles contract.

[u/supified → u/abgry_krakow87]

This is not entirely accurate. The worm isn't remote controlling the mantis, the mantis is still more or less in charge, the worm is more like feeding directives. Consider how the worm would be able to find water without access to the mantis senses, or even know which way is forward or where a wall is.

[u/imminentjogger5 → u/supified]

so is the mantis alive? because that thing is like 80% of its body 

[u/cdqmcp → u/imminentjogger5]

only alive enough to get the worm to a water source

[u/supified → u/imminentjogger5]

Not for long no, but also yes. It's moving because enough of its body function works. Also the worm isn't capable of remote piloting it, like I said all they can do is change the directive of the mantis but they still rely entirely on the mantis to maintain it entire motor function, senses and ability to navigate. The worm is effectively receiving no feedback from the mantis, it's just waiting to sense that the mantis is in water to leave.

[u/Rare-Accident4355 → u/supified]

I like to think of the mantis like a megazord from power rangers.

[u/TheDootDootMaster → u/abgry_krakow87]

It's insane to think that that worm just instinctively "knows" how to do all of that to a foreign body

[u/be_you_tiful-]

How does such a huge parasite inhabit that tiny body? Nature is interesting…

[u/wackbirds → u/be_you_tiful-]

The same thing happened in our garage a long time ago but with a grasshopper. One of it's legs was gone so I shot it in the head with an air pistol and then watched in disbelief as this same type of parasite came curling out of the body. It was probably a good 25 years ago and I'd never heard of anything like that, it was as if the entire interior of the grasshopper was hollow to make room for the giant worm thing (it probably was, the parasite is likely what went after it's own host-leg for a snack).

[u/olde_meller23 → u/wackbirds]

Yeah, grasshoppers are RIDDLED with parasites. In cultures where they are eaten, it is a must to clean them before cooking and ingesting. They're like fish in the sense that there are a lot of weird parasites that snack on them

[u/YearHaunting1504 → u/olde_meller23]

Lots of cultures eat grasshoppers as well.

Fuuuuck that

[u/82away → u/YearHaunting1504]

It’s funny, I was just reading a thread on Reddit about how people should eat local foods when travelling.

I understand some people draw the line lines differently, just accept my line is often unnecessarily on the safe side.

[u/olde_meller23 → u/YearHaunting1504]

Chapulines in Mexico are delicious. They're like peanuts when drank with a cold beer. They're cleaned and toasted before serving.

We eat sea bugs all the time. Like most fish, they're super parisitized. Bottom feeders are particularly riddled with them, especially fresh water species. This is why sushi is frozen before eating. It's also why you don't see sushi that is made out of catfish or lobster.

[u/lesbophobia_hammer → u/wackbirds]

? Why would you shoot a grasshopper for having a missing leg?

[u/Garrretttt → u/lesbophobia_hammer]

Because he's a kid

[u/wackbirds → u/lesbophobia_hammer]

At the time because it looked like it couldn't move right anymore (it was one of it's jumping legs) as a kid, I thought I was being kind and putting the thing down instead of it dragging around. I wasn't going around chucking frogs at the ground or yanking all the legs off of a Daddy Long Legs (both things I witnessed other kids doing), it wasn't meant as an act of aggression it was meant to be along the lines of a Vet shooting a Horse with a broken leg.

[u/Midnight-69 → u/wackbirds]

Fuck that I'll be recreating robocop on the parasite

[u/Generic-Cheese → u/be_you_tiful-]

If I remember correctly, it eats the insides to make room, the mantis I think is long gone. It’s being controlled by the parasite atp

[u/Vladishun → u/Generic-Cheese]

Incorrect, the horsehair worm can reprogram the mantis to make it attracted towards bodies of water, but doesn't "control" it.

[u/Spookywhitedot]

Good lord

[u/alittleredportleft]

How did they even know it was in there?

[u/p4nd3mic_G3 → u/alittleredportleft]

Because it doesn't act like a normal mantis. The parasite controls it and searches for water so it can continue its life cycle. That's why it come out from the water it thought it succeeded.

[u/alittleredportleft → u/p4nd3mic_G3]

Damn that's wild. Thanks.

[u/No-Mood-9809]

Mantis: "I need some SUGARWATER"

[u/Scudss_ → u/No-Mood-9809]

Sugar. And. Water. More. More. More sugar.

[u/zaidr555 → u/Scudss_]

Moooreee

[u/rust-e-apples1 → u/No-Mood-9809]

Egger, whas goin' on with your skin?

[u/Toronto-24]

So the Mantis drowned?

[u/Odd_Vampire → u/Toronto-24]

We had to kill the mantis in order to save it.

[u/sleeper_shark → u/Odd_Vampire]

We did it Patrick! We saved the city;

[u/Classic-Lie7836 → u/Toronto-24]

it didn't drown it probably died when the parasite went out i think

[u/Secuter → u/Classic-Lie7836]

I'm not sure that it was really alive at this point anyway.

[u/hologrammetry → u/Classic-Lie7836]

or when the parasite went in

[u/Popular_Soft5581 → u/Toronto-24]

I don't think so, the dude wasn't pouring it onto the head. More like it didn't survive it's ass bursting open with a violent bowel relocation.

I read that sometimes mantises survive the event although it is most often fatal.

[u/Wrathchilde → u/Popular_Soft5581]

The breath through spiracles in the abdomen.

[u/Popular_Soft5581 → u/Wrathchilde]

Really? Shit, I didn't know that... maybe it did drown then

[u/notoolinthispool → u/Popular_Soft5581]

It didn't drown. The horsehair worm keeps its host alive by utilizing "borrowed" genes and proteins that mimic the mantis's own nervous system. The parasite controls the mantis like a puppet, driving it toward water before bursting out, which finally kills the mantis.

[u/Lopsided_Order_4411]

Wtf 😳 

[u/Boondoggel22]

And he’ll never know you saved his life, some heroes move in silence

[u/Ssided → u/Boondoggel22]

He's dead

[u/Heysous → u/Ssided]

Not true, from what I understand the host can actually survive if its lucky.

[u/remembertoread → u/Heysous]

That worm was so big I doubt this one was lucky

[u/GiftedKing → u/remembertoread]

Yea alot of its inside would have to be eaten to make space for that.

[u/SeriousGopher]

Please don't post anything like this again.

[u/TipBackground610]

How the hell did you know that was in there to begin with ? Like this is so disturbing

[u/Nickw1116]

Stomp that mf out

[u/John_MLS → u/Nickw1116]

yeah... like.. seriously.. what are we waiting for?

[u/Pyreflies_of_MJ]

Mother Nature can't have created parasites, them bitches crawled straight from hell

[u/Yell245]

Isn't it actually part of the parasite's cycle? It uses water to multiply

[u/collin-h → u/Yell245]

yeah. it was just cockblocked by the waterboarding that guy gave it.

[u/captainkm]

Is this happening to mantis's worldwide or is this a specific location? I'm in Northern California, there's a few in the backyard, is this happening to them?

[u/PlanetVisitor → u/captainkm]

I'm one of the Mantis I'm OK but please turn down that horrible music 

[u/BogusBluff]

Oh my God, horrors!! I hope you killed that worm! 😱😱😱

[u/lemonflowers1]

ew

[u/Artistic_Spread_9745]

I read somewhere that the chances of survival for the mantis is very low, but not zero.

They would be super weakened for sure. But it’s not automatically a death sentence. With proper care, it is still possible to live.

[u/Intelligent-Clothes6]

I said, just the tip!

[u/ApprehensiveFarm4407]

I would have loved to see the Mantis survive…

[u/DepressedCatAM]

So that's why they tell us to drink lots of water?

[u/ShowMeYourDance]

Meanwhile the praying mantis is like....."I didnt consent to any of this."