A bizarre 'snake worm' has baffled scientists for over a decade, now they know what it is

Snake worm gnat larvae in a long line on top of dirt.

Researchers have solved Alaska's "snake worm" mystery after discovering a new species of fungus-eating fly whose juveniles band together and slither around like a long, gray serpent. 

The snake worm mystery began more than 16 years ago in the summer of 2007, when Ester resident Maggie Billington spotted thousands of tiny, wormlike larvae crawling across a road in a long line.