The wasp that “hypnotized” a spider

Holder’s observers called a metallic-blue wasp a “hypnotizer.” It hunted among rocks until it found a huge, hairy spider. They faced off, the spider’s fangs raised and the wasp’s antennae vibrating. After feinting and circling, the wasp struck from behind. They rolled among the pebbles, then the spider’s legs relaxed. Holder called this “hypnotized”: his era’s term for a sting that paralyzed the spider. Victims rarely died at once, but rarely recovered their full faculties.