The Real Death Cricket

[DesertDuke]

I thought DC would get a kick out of this. My son and I found this worm thing, swimming in the water in a southern Utah canyon. I was sure it was a parasite. I talked to a Parasitologist professor friend of mine and it turns out to be the Horse Hair worm. It parasitizes hoppers, etc. They get it from the water and the parasite causes a behavior change that makes the cricket commit suicide by jumping into water. Once in water the then adult worm bursts out and lays eggs. A true "Death Cricket". I will post the pics we took and then a video he sent me showing the worm causing the suicide behavior and coming out.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df_iGe_JSzI

[Deathcricket]

And here I thought this was troll thread calling me out.

I'm actually really glad you posted this. I have seen these many times in the pools around Zion. Especially the upper portion or Orderville. Like before that first waterfall/rap but after Birch drops in. There is a log jam with hundreds of them. I have wondered for soo long what they actually were! I admit being kind of nervous like one was going to swim up my urethra. Fascinating stuff!

[DesertDuke]

The Parasitologist did tell me that they are relatively common around Zion. The one I found was far from there, but obviously they are around. Pretty interesting parasite for a non-tropical area.

[Felicia]

The Parasitologist did tell me that they are relatively common around Zion. The one I found was far from there, but obviously they are around. Pretty interesting parasite for a non-tropical area.

Yuck! I've seem them in the Subway and they creep me out.

Did the Parasitologist mention if humans need to be concerned about coming in contact with this parasite?

[DesertDuke]

They parasitize insects, but even knowing that I am still convinced to never drink the water untreated.

[JP]

nervous like one was going to swim up my urethra.

Only you

Man, I should take a closer look around here in bodies of water, or maybe not

[DesertDuke]

I admit being kind of nervous like one was going to swim up my urethra. Fascinating stuff!

I believe this is the beast of your nightmares DC??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candiru

[canyonphile]

I saw one of these last May hiking in Elephant Cyn in the Needles! Had no clue what it was, but it was twisting itself into knots and I took several pics, because I'm totally into this sort of weird nature stuff . However, I was too much of a sissy to pick it up with my bare fingers .

I found out from a friend who has also seen them what they are and that they are a major parasite of the Mormon cricket (which can form swarms and eat a swath through gardens and such) among others. The Alien-esque nature of them is friggin' awesome ! They also infect the brain of the insect and cause it to find water (like in the OP's vid) so it can exit the host.

Oh, and my guy did drink untreated water from that same pool and hasn't had those sprouting out of him anywhere . Horsehair worms are harmless to humans and vertebrates.

[canyonphile]

Only you

Man, I should take a closer look around here in bodies of water, or maybe not

Dude, where you live, there are far worse things . Hookworm is pretty common there, I believe. Walk barefoot on the beach where people have let their dogs crap, and you can get infected. The freakiest thing I've seen from tropical areas (though not in the continental US) is a human botfly maggot .

A quick YouTube search for that will show you all the vids you can stomach of those in-situ and being removed; I'm not posting any here.

[Deathcricket]

I believe this is the beast of your nightmares DC??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candiru

Haha no, didn't know there was a fish small enough to get up there.

I thought it might be a "version" of the river blindness parasite. But I've watched so many of these episodes I had forgotten it was transmitted by a fly and not a parasitic worm.

[DesertDuke]

Haha no, didn't know there was a fish small enough to get up there.

Hmmmm....DC.....based your posts I have read during my 6 or so months of lurking, etc, I am a bit surprised that you would post the above regarding urethra entry. Surprised one could be small enough eh? I would have expected "if it can fit in a pringles can then......" type of thing. But, OK, one of those irretrievable, online quotes I guess. The fish I listed is only rumored to swim up into different orifices and I thought you were making reference to it. They swim into the gills of larger fish, lodge themselves with spikes and feed. Having one of those in an orifice would certainly not be pleasant.

For river blindnees yes, it is the tsetse fly. The larvae die in humans as we are not the intended host and they build up in the eye. The eye turns white and opaque.

Canyonphile: I live in Idaho and though there are parasites everywhere my personal belief is that those in the tropics are much weirder than what we have. This is somewhat tangential, but my favorite by far is dracunculiasis. One need only step into the water (definitely including humans) and they bore into the skin. The adult will then cause a blister that the human will want to soak. when the blister is in the water, the worm bursts out to release the little ones. the worm is still there and has to be removed, about an inch a day, for many days until it comes out. However, I think this video is probably my favorite of all parasite videos. Elephantitis. FYI, it is not a bloody, worm infested video so it should not bother those that faint at the sight of a needle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjtJZIiks7Y

[canyonphile]

Canyonphile: I live in Idaho and though there are parasites everywhere my personal belief is that those in the tropics are much weirder than what we have. This is somewhat tangential, but my favorite by far is dracunculiasis. One need only step into the water (definitely including humans) and they bore into the skin. The adult will then cause a blister that the human will want to soak. when the blister is in the water, the worm bursts out to release the little ones. the worm is still there and has to be removed, about an inch a day, for many days until it comes out. However, I think this video is probably my favorite of all parasite videos. Elephantitis. FYI, it is not a bloody, worm infested video so it should not bother those that faint at the sight of a needle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjtJZIiks7Y

Oh yeah, elephantiasis is an interesting thing, isn't it? Happens when those filarial larva get into the lymph system and clog it up. Nasty, nasty! Funny, I didn't remember that "dracunculiasis" was the scientific name for Guinea worm infection ! Though it is apparently spread by drinking contaminated water with water fleas that carry the parasite, rather than direct burrowing.

I'd heard somewhere years ago that the Guinea worm was possibly part of the inspiration for the symbol used by the medical profession and I see that it's mentioned here, along with the confusion with the other symbol also used - the Caduceus. Given that the Caduceus was the staff of Hermes, the god of thieves, liars and salesmen, it's probably not appropriate for the medical profession, but maybe they should change the official seal of Congress to include it .

Sorry...didn't mean to derail the thread with a slight political jab there

[Deathcricket]

Hmmmm....DC.....based your posts I have read during my 6 or so months of lurking, etc, I am a bit surprised that you would post the above regarding urethra entry. Surprised one could be small enough eh? I would have expected "if it can fit in a pringles can then......" type of thing. But, OK, one of those irretrievable, online quotes I guess. The fish I listed is only rumored to swim up into different orifices and I thought you were making reference to it. They swim into the gills of larger fish, lodge themselves with spikes and feed. Having one of those in an orifice would certainly not be pleasant.

So this is a thread calling me out after all! Too many people on Bogley have seen my unit for me to be making such boasts. But that is still a very scary fish!

[Sombeech]

Too many people on Bogley have seen my unit for me to be making such boasts.

I have not, and I considered myself one of your friends.

[Deathcricket]

We'll share a tent next time.

[JP]

Dude, where you live, there are far worse things

I know, so I won't spend my time looking But then again, there's a pond out front and we haven't had rain in....I can't even count the weeks. Probably months, but that's winters here in Floriduh I bet I can find something, then I'll let you Parasitologists figure that out Gotta go shoot some bull riding today, maybe sometime early next week.