Wicked Bugs

March 1, 2011
When it comes to methods of torture, the insect world is quite accommodating. Victims can, so to speak, pick their poison, from the merely painful to the downright deadly, the mildly horrific to the out-and-out dangerous. Creeping, crawling, slithering, stalking insects that bite, spray, ooze, and sting use these weapons of mighty destruction to snag a meal, slay an enemy, or seduce a matesometimes all at once. Ranging from verdant South American jungles to Manhattans cold concrete canyons, Stewart amusingly but analytically profiles the baddest bugs around in quick but attention-grabbing snapshots of little creatures that pack a lot of punch. Bed bugs and bookworms, rat fleas and filth fliesall come under Stewarts curious gaze as she exposes their evil habits and lethal charms. No alarmist setting out to stoke preexisting phobias, Stewart shares her natural fascination with the insect world to help readers recognize both the threats and the wonders that could be lurking in corner crevices or come wafting in on the next gentle breeze.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)