It is not enough for the victim to be unable to move from place to place beneath the soil: in addition to this, the Contractible power in its sturdy muscular organism must be suppressed.
"More Hunting Wasps"
J. Henri Fabre
So Contractible and tough is the skin, that once the point of the harpoon is embedded in it, nothing but a strong and direct tug will release it.
"The Confessions of a Beachcomber"
E J Banfield