The article recounts a visit to an insect lab at the American Museum of Natural History, where the author and their partner encountered a variety of insects, particularly mantises. A PhD student named Lohit Garikipati guided them, leading to an electrifying experience with different types of mantises, including a captivating stick-imitating mantis resembling the composer Lydia Tár. The author vividly describes the sensations of holding these creatures, especially the powerful aura of the Tár-like mantis, evoking themes of power dynamics and mesmerizing beauty within the insect world.
The room was hot, humid, and smelled faintly of roach, because, well, there were lots of roaches there.
The experience was frankly electrifying. I felt as if I were holding some small deity, awaiting her orders.
It's not just that this mantis kept striking the Tár pose-arms outstretched and head arched back-but that she also had Lydia's energy.
As she sat in T's palm, the mantis emanated an alluringly menacing sort of power.
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