Not for the squeamish

[fredg]

This/ these are something MrsG discovered in the wild bird water tray this morning. The water was changed yesterday so they've been carried in. and we've a pretty good idea what they were carried in in

If you are squeamish just risk the one eye and see if you can identify.

 

[DJ57]

Horsehair worms?

 

[DragonsEye]

Interesting! My first reaction was heart worms though they are really too mobile and flexible for such. I believe DJ is likely correct. Some type of horsehair worm (Nematomorpha) would be likely candidates. Larvae parasitize Arthropods. The adults are free living aquatics. From what I have read, it seems that adults can sometimes survive the devouring of their host --- exiting the host's body and wriggling out of the predators. So in the case of your water tray, a bird may have eaten some parasitized insects and have had the adults exit the birds' body. Conversely, the infected insect(s) may have jumped into the water tray, had the adults exit its/their bodies. (With terrestrial hosts, when the Nematomorpha has fully matured, the host is driven to seek a body of water and jump in. The adult them exits and seeks a mate. The host dies.) A visiting bird may then have eaten the drowned hollowed out insects.

 

[dr_donut]

Most likely a Nematomorpha of some sort, but still disgusting.

 

[fredg]

I'm with the double exit, Arthropod eaten by bird route.
Which leads me to the gastric band issue we have here. They're thinking of offering the operation so people lose weight and so are less costly in later life with health problems. Surely infestation with a parasitic worm would be cheaper

 

[curtisconners]

Pills containing tapeworm eggs were actually sold once as a miracle weight loss medicine. So that isn't as far fetched as it may seem, not that I would recommend it.

 

[Brolloks]

Wow that is freaky looking

 

[nimbulan]

There's actually a lot of new research going into tapeworm pills. Certain species can actually be beneficial and are not parasitic. Of course convincing people to take them is another issue...

 

[fredg]

People are paying a fortune travelling to have tapeworm dieting done in Mexico as it's illegal in the USA. Buying a large stapler and applying it to the lips is much cheaper

 

[DragonsEye]

There's actually a lot of new research going into tapeworm pills. Certain species can actually be beneficial and are not parasitic. Of course convincing people to take them is another issue...

I'm skeptical of the "not parasitic" claim -- none of them have a digestive system so depend upon the nutrients they absorb.

What benefits are being touted?

 

[curtisconners]

I wouldn't mind knowing this myself. How can a tapeworm help anyone?

 

[fredg]

What benefits are being touted?

Weight loss. They've been used for that for a very very long time. They can be effective but some side effects can be not to brilliant.( I think I'd prefer the stapler or good duct tape)

Tapeworm Diet Review

 

[DragonsEye]

Weight loss. They've been used for that for a very very long time. They can be effective but some side effects can be not to brilliant.( I think I'd prefer the stapler or good duct tape)

Tapeworm Diet Review

I should have been more precise .... I meant beyond weight loss -- if there was any other benefit. I knew that, women in particular, had been known to intentionally ingest tapeworm proglottids in order to infest themselves with tapeworms to "fight the battle of the bulge".

 

[nimbulan]

I'm skeptical of the "not parasitic" claim -- none of them have a digestive system so depend upon the nutrients they absorb.

What benefits are being touted?

I'm having trouble finding the article I read about the research but it was a very specific species that could not reproduce in your digestive system, necessitating regular ingestion. If I remember right it may have had something to do with curing food allergies.

 

[jerrysmith]

I remember reading about someone that had severe allergies. (To what, I forget). It was within the past year. He ended up travelling to Africa specifically to get infested by tapeworms by walking barefoot in the latrine areas in remote villages. He did get infested and his allergies disappeared. I believe he is selling the tapeworms via some means. Now to see if a Google search can confirm this.

Here it is: Willingly infected with a stomach worm -RADIOLAB - YouTube