Parasitic worm-like creatures that live in insects and control their behavior, sometimes forcing hosts to seek water where the worms escape.
From Old English 'hær' (hair) combined with 'worm' (creature). Called 'hair' worms because their thin, thread-like appearance resembles human hair. The name reflects their distinctive physical appearance rather than any actual relation to hair.
Hairworms are real-life mind-controllers: they infect crickets and grasshoppers, rewire their brains, and force them to jump into water to drown so the worms can reproduce—it's like nature's zombie parasite!
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