In this darkly comical look at the sinister side of our relationship with the natural world, Stewart has tracked down over one hundred of our worst entomological foes€"creatures that infest, infect, and generally wreak havoc on human affairs. From the world€s most painful hornet, to the flies that transmit deadly diseases, to millipedes that stop traffic, to the €œbookworms€ that devour libraries, to the Japanese beetles munching on your roses, Wicked Bugs delves into the extraordinary powers of six- and eight-legged creatures.

With wit, style, and exacting research, Stewart has uncovered the most terrifying and titillating stories of bugs gone wild. It€s an A to Z of insect enemies, interspersed with sections that explore bugs with kinky sex lives (€œShe€s Just Not That Into You€), creatures lurking in the cupboard (€œFear No Weevil€), insects eating your tomatoes (€œGardener€s Dirty Dozen€), and phobias that feed our (sometimes) irrational responses to bugs (€œHave No Fear€).

Intricate and strangely beautiful etchings and drawings by Briony Morrow-Cribbs capture diabolical bugs of all shapes and sizes in this mixture of history, science, murder, and intrigue that begins€"but doesn€t end€"in your own backyard.