Write a tweet thread on Holder’s Insect Hypnotizers wasp-and-tarantula episode.

The wasp that “hypnotized” a spider

Holder’s observers called a metallic-blue wasp a “hypnotizer.”

Its victims rarely died at once—but rarely recovered their full faculties either.

The wasp that “hypnotized” a spider

The wasp hunted among rocks until it found a huge hairy spider.

They faced off: fangs raised, antennae vibrating.

The wasp that “hypnotized” a spider

Feint, circle, strike from behind. The pair rolled among the pebbles. Then the spider’s legs relaxed.

The wasp that “hypnotized” a spider

Holder’s word was “hypnotized”—his era’s name for a sting that left the spider paralyzed.

The drama is the hunt, not modern jargon.

The wasp that “hypnotized” a spider