Despicable Species: On Cowbirds, Kudzu, Hornworms, and Other ScourgesIn fourteen glorious essays, Despicable Species ponders some of the most loathsome creatures on the planet. But for every nasty reputation, there is a silver lining, which Lembke brings to our attention with dazzling bits of history, science, and culture. Lembke describes the horse fly as a blood-sucking insect with a walloping sting whose maggots exude chemicals that aid in healing human tissue, and that famous infant abandoner the cow-bird. She also writes about the hornworm, the opossum, and the deadly microbe Pfiesteria piscicida. And finally, she reveals our very own despicable species: Homo sapiens. |
Contents
Sandburs | 17 |
European Starling | 41 |
Pfiesteria piscicida | 65 |
Copyright | |
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American animals behavior bird's birds body brown-headed cowbird called caterpillars Cenchrus centipede century cocaine color common opossum creatures dark deerflies despicable species dew lovers dinoflagellate earth eggs European Starling farm feed female fish killer fruit flies Fungi geese genes genetic genus grass gray squirrel Greek green ground grow habitat hatch head hornworms horseflies horses host house centipede house sparrow human humankind insects Japanese kill kind kudzu land larvae leaves legs lives male mammals marsupials molds mosquitoes moth native natural nest niche North Carolina parasitism Pfiesteria piscicida piscicida plant poison population possum predator prey Proteus Protista roots sandburs says scolopendrids seeds skin snake snow geese soil sometimes South Southern sphinx spiders swat symbiosis tail there's things tiny tion tobacco tomato tree vegetation vine Virginia wild wildlife wings wood woodpeckers worms yard