Parasite flees a mantis when hit with water

[u/InTheSky57]

[u/TheDootDootMaster]

It's insane to think that that worm just instinctively "knows" how to do all of that to a foreign body

[u/abgry_krakow87 → u/TheDootDootMaster]

Via Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavior-altering_parasite

Parasite manipulations can be either direct or indirect. Indirect manipulation is the most frequent method used by behavior-altering parasites,^\7]) while the direct approach is far less common. Direct manipulation is when the parasite itself affects the host and induces a behavioral response, for example by creating neuroactive compounds that stimulate a response in the host's central nervous system (CNS), a method mostly practiced by parasites that reside within the CNS.^\8]) Affecting the host's neural system is complicated and manipulation includes initiating immune cascades in the host.^\9]) However, determination of the causative factor is difficult, especially whether the behavioral change is the result of direct manipulation from the parasite, or an indirect response of the host's immune system.^\8]) A direct approach to behavioral manipulation is often very costly for the parasite,^\8]) which results in a trade-off between the benefits of the manipulation (e.g., fitness increase) and the energy it costs. The more common approach for parasites is to indirectly induce behavioral responses by interacting with the host's immune system^\7]) to create the necessary neuroactive compounds to induce a desired behavioral response.^\8]) Parasites can also indirectly affect the behavior of their hosts by disturbing their metabolism, development, or immunity.^\8]) Parasitic castrators drastically modify their hosts' metabolism and reproduction, sometimes by secreting castrating hormones, changing their behavior and physiology to benefit the parasite.^\10])

The ways in which parasites induce behavioral changes in hosts have been compared to the way a neurobiologist would effect a similar change in a lab.^\11]) A scientist may stimulate a certain pathway in order to produce a specific behavior, such as increased appetite or lowered anxiety; parasites also produce specific behavioral changes in their hosts, but rather than stimulate specific neurological pathways, they appear to target broader areas of the central nervous system. While the proximate mechanisms underlying this broad targeting have not been fully characterized, two mechanisms used by parasites to alter behavior in vertebrate hosts have been identified: infection of the central nervous system and altered neurochemical communication.^\12])