Horsehair Worm

Who would have thought I would find THIS in my yard???

Courtesy of Entomologist at MSU:

Your photo shows a Horsehair worm a.k.a hairworm (Phylum Nematomorpha). Horsehair worms get their common name from their striking appearance, and because it was formally thought they spontaneously generated from the hairs of a horse's tail (where are our ancestors got these hairbrained ideas, I do not know). Most species of horsehair worms live in fresh water and damp soil. Some aquatic species may grow to be 2 feet long! Adults are free-living but the immature stages are internal parasites of insects and aquatic arthropods (like crayfish). The most common hosts are beetles, crickets and grasshoppers. They do not infest people or pets. No control of these beneficial organisms is necessary. For more information see http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2112.html