Zombie spider maker (Costa Rican parasitoid wasp )

Before and after webs.  (Picture from Nature mag)

The Hymenoepimecis Argyraphaga 

There is a very peculiar wasp the Costa Rican parasitoid wasp which uses mind control to incubate and raise it’s young.

As a fairly harmless orb weaver spider spins its large perfectly round web, it is stung by one of these unusual wasps, temporarily paralysed the wasp lays its eggs on the back of the spider. After a while the spider regains movement carrying on with its daily activities, for the next two weeks unaware that the wasp larvae are burrowing tiny holes in the abdomen, sucking it's nutritious juices. Then the mind control begins, the larvae send a message to the brain of the spider to spin a flat hammock type web instead of its usual large round web, and the spider will work frantically to spin the flat hammock web. Once the web is finished the larvae kill the spider. Then form a cocoon in the hammock where they are protected from the tropical rains and insects. What actually happens is that the wasp larvae release a chemical which works very quickly and changes the way the spider's brain works. Scientists have found that if you remove the larvae while the orb spider is still alive the spider will survive and go on to live a normal life.