Doctor Who The Zarbi by Bill Strutton

This Doctor Who novelization, based on the television serial "The Web Planet," follows the Doctor and his companions as they land the Tardis on the desolate world of Vortis. The travelers are soon separated and caught in a conflict between the Zarbi, giant ant-like monsters controlled by a parasitic intelligence, and the Menoptera, a displaced butterfly-like race seeking to reclaim their home. Throughout the narrative, Barbara is lured into a trance, Ian discovers an underground colony of stunted Menoptera kinsmen, and the Doctor and Vicki navigate the high-tech Zarbi Headquarters. The group eventually reunites to support a Menoptera invasion force and launch a desperate assault on the Animus, the malevolent power at the planet's core. By using a specialized Web Destructor and coordinating with local rebels, they successfully dismantle the creature's control and liberate the planet. These excerpts highlight the sci-fi themes of alien biology, colonization, and the struggle for freedom against overwhelming extraterrestrial forces.