Horsehair worms, part of the taxonomic phylum Nematomorpha, are parasitic worms that resemble long thin strands of hair (hence their nickname).
Hair worms are long and thin—2 to 118 inches (5 to 300 centimeters) long and 0.02 to 0.4 inch (0.5 to 10 millimeters) wide. They are black, brown, yellow, white, or gray. The front end of most of these worms has a white tip with a thin dark band behind it. Some hair worms have raised bumps on their surface.
The bug that looks like a strand of hair is scientifically called Nematomorpha. The bug that looks like a strand of hair is scientifically called Nematomorpha. The term refers to a phylum in the Nematoida clade and includes the worms people call horsehair worms, Gordian worms, or hairsnakes.
Nematomorphs are long, thin, cylindrical worms. Their shape leads many to refer to these worms as hair worms.
These harmless, curious creatures writhe slowly, contorting their hair-like bodies into intricate knots. Horsehair worms develop as parasites in the bodies of grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches, and some beetles. When mature, they leave the host to lay eggs.
Horsehair or gordian worms are long, slender worms related to nematodes. When they are immature, they are parasites of insects, arthropods and other invertebrate animals. They are harmless to people in all stages of their lives. They are considered beneficial as they control other insects.
Demodex, a genus of tiny parasitic mites that live in or near hair follicles of mammals, are among the smallest of arthropods with two species Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis typically found on humans. Infestation with Demodex is common; prevalence in healthy adults varying between 23-100%.
Humans become infected when blackflies deposit Onchocerca infective larvae into the skin when biting to extract blood. Once inside the human body, the larvae mature into adults in approximately 12–18 months. Most adult female worms live in fibrous nodules under the skin and sometimes near muscles and joints.
Millipedes are those long black bugs with what seems like a million tiny legs that you see crawling in your bedroom windows and that curl into a tight ball when threatened. They won't bite you, but they can emit a smelly fluid that might irritate your eyes or skin.
The treatment of choice is diethylcarbamazine (DEC), which kills the microfilariae and adult worms. Albendazole is sometimes used in patients who are not cured with multiple DEC treatments. It is thought to kill adult worms.
Some common bugs that can be mistaken for lice are ants, bedbugs, and fleas. A few things all these bugs have in common is they're small in size, can be dark colored, and can give you an itchy head. A few things that can be mistaken for lice nits are dandruff, hair product, or dirt.
Head lice and the human hair
The head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis) is an insect parasite, spending its entire life on human hair and feeding exclusively on blood, 4-5 times daily. Man is the only known host of this parasite.
Adult roundworms live in the intestinal tracts of their hosts, consuming that host's food. The adult roundworm is round, white to light brown in color, and several inches long. These worms look a lot like spaghetti or angel hair pasta.
Black-spot disease
These parasitic flatworms appear as tiny black spots on the skin, fins and flesh of fish.
Portuguese millipedes (fig. 1 right) are an introduced species of millipede, with a smooth cylindrical body, ranging in colour from black/grey to light brown. When disturbed, Portuguese millipedes commonly curl up into a tight spiral (fig.
If you come across small black worms in your bathroom, kitchen sink, or toilet, you may have a drain worm problem. These small black or brown worms are also referred to as “drain fly worms” or “drain fly larvae.” They can be a nuisance with potential health risks because they can spread bacteria.
Appearance. If you look into the water of a Minnesota lake during spring or late summer, you may see what looks like a long, black or brownish thread coiling and writhing about.
Severe itching (pruritus), especially at night, is the earliest and most common symptom of scabies. A pimple-like (papular) itchy (pruritic) “scabies rash” is also common. Itching and rash may affect much of the body or be limited to common sites such as: Between the fingers.
Common parasitic skin diseases include creeping eruption, lice, and scabies.
Horsehair worms are slender (1/25 to 1/8 inch wide), very long (4 to 24 inches), and yellowish-tan to brownish-black in color. They often squirm and twist, knotting themselves into a loose, ball-like shape, resembling the so called "gordian knot," in freshwater pools.
Hookworm is an intestinal parasite of humans. The larvae and adult worms live in the small intestine can cause intestinal disease. The two main species of hookworm infecting humans are Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus.
Horsehair worms are harmless to vertebrates, because they can't parasitize people, livestock, pets, or birds. They also don't infect plants. If humans ingest the worms, they may encounter some mild discomfort of the intestinal tract, but infection never occurs.
Demodex is a genus of microscopic mites that live in human hair follicles. The tiny creatures are arachnids, cousins of spiders and ticks. Almost everyone has Demodex mites living on their skin and in their pores, particularly their: Cheeks.