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Parasites that manipulate the behavior of praying mantises to make them go near water are often doing so as part of their life cycle strategy. One example of such parasites is hairworms (nematodes of the Mermithidae family), which are known to infect and control mantises.
These hairworm parasites spend part of their life cycle in water. They lay their eggs in water sources like ponds, streams, or puddles. To complete their life cycle, the parasites need to return to water where their young can hatch and develop. However, adult mantises are terrestrial creatures and are not naturally inclined to seek out water sources.
The parasites manipulate the mantis's behavior by affecting its nervous system. They might release chemicals or signals that make the mantis feel thirsty or restless. The manipulated mantis then becomes driven to find water, even though it's not something it would normally do. This leads the mantis to move toward water sources, which is exactly what the parasites need to continue their life cycle.
Once the manipulated mantis reaches the water, the adult hairworm parasites inside it can exit the host's body and lay their eggs in the water, where the eggs hatch into larvae. These larvae can then infect new hosts (like insects that live in the water) and continue the cycle.
In essence, the parasites use the mantis as a way to transport themselves to the water, even though it's against the mantis's natural behavior. This manipulation benefits the parasites by ensuring that their young are released into the water where they can continue their development and infect new hosts.
