Did you know there are zombie bugs that not only eat other bugs but also inhabit and control their bodies? There’s even a wasp that delivers a perfectly-placed sting in a cockroach’s brain and then leads the roach around by its antennae — like a dog on a leash. Scorpions glow in ultraviolet light. Lots of bugs dine on corpses. And if you want to know how much it hurts to get stung by a bullet ant (hint: it really, really hurts), you can consult the Schmidt Sting Pain Index. It ranks the pain produced by ants and other stinging creatures. How does it work? Dr. Schmidt, the scientist who created it, voluntarily subjected himself to the stings of 150 species. Organized into thematic categories (Everyday Dangers, Unwelcome Invaders, Destructive Pests, and Terrible Threats) and featuring full-color illustrations by Briony Morrow-Cribbs, Wicked Bugs is an educational and creepy-cool guide to the worst of the worst of insects, arachnids, and other arthropods. This is the young readers adaptation of Amy Stewart’s bestselling book for adult readers.

エイミー・スチュワートは、自然界の「負の側面」を耽美かつスリリングに描き出す名手です。本書は単なる図鑑を超え、奇怪な寄生や致死性の毒といった「残酷な生存戦略」を、まるでゴシック・ホラーのような濃密な筆致で綴っています。科学的な事実がこれほどまでにおぞましく、かつ魅惑的な物語として成立する事実に、読者は驚嘆を禁じ得ないでしょう。 提示されるのは、人間中心の価値観を揺さぶる非情な小宇宙の真実です。恐怖を知的好奇心へと昇華させる本作は、読み手の足元に広がる日常を、底知れぬスリルに満ちた異世界へと変貌させます。著者の情熱的な探究心が、自然界の闇を極上の教養エンターテインメントへと仕立て上げた、知的な刺激に満ちた一冊です。