This parasite is the stuff a cricket's nightmares are made of
Tuesday, November 5, 2013 - 09:31
in Biology & Nature
The hairworm is a long, thread-like parasite that sits bundled up inside the body of its host. It grows so large that it takes up most of the room inside the host's body, waiting for the right moment to come bursting out. But that is not the scariest thing about the parasite, because it can also survive a deep freeze (at -70°C) and go on to infect its favourite hosts. Fortunately for us, those hosts are some insects and crustaceans.