Toad life cycle, amplexus, reproduction, metamorphosis | Britannica

DocuQuest on Instagram: "This shocking video shows the disturbing power of a parasite over its host. A parasitic worm, known as the horsehair worm (Chordodes formosanus), grows inside the body of a praying mantis. Once mature, the worm hijacks the mantis’s nervous system and compels it to seek water. Believing it is acting on its own, the mantis enters the water and begins to drown. That’s when the worm emerges from its host and escapes into the water to continue its life cycle. It’s one of the