The mystery of the mysterious worms lining up in rows solved (photo)

American scientists have solved the mystery of the mysterious "worms" that line up in huge lines. It turned out that these were the larvae of a new, previously unknown species of soil mosquitoes called Sciara serpens.

In 2007, Maggie Billington, a resident of the American city of Estera, saw thousands of tiny worm-like creatures crawling across the road. They moved in a coordinated stream that resembled a snake from a distance, Live Science writes.

Billington took pictures of the unusual creatures and showed them to Derek Sykes, who worked in the insect department at the University of Alaska Museum of the North. Sykes was stunned. He had never heard of such a phenomenon.

The scientist managed to find another similar "snake". He took a few larvae from it and cared for them until they turned into adult flies. Most of all, they resembled soil mosquitoes belonging to the species Sciara mirabilis.

The next breakthrough came in 2021 when the genitals of these insects were studied by entomologist Talles Pereira of the University of Alaska Museum of the North. He examined one of the males with a powerful microscope and realized that its genitals were shaped differently from those of the Sciara mirabilis species.

The scientists concluded that they were dealing with a new, previously unknown species of soil mosquito. They named it Sciara serpens.

"This is a very important discovery," Sykes said, "It proves that even in environments that seem to be well understood, like the Arctic, there are still many things we don't know.

Scientists believe that Sciara serpens larvae line up in rows to facilitate their movement. They secrete mucus that helps them slide along the ground.

These mosquitoes are common in Alaska, but their numbers are small. They are found only in certain places where there is rich organic matter.

If you want to get the latest news about the war and events in Ukraine, subscribe to our Telegram channel!