Thieves, Deceivers, and Killers: Tales of Chemistry in Nature

After sucking in the reader with a thrilling anthropomorphic account of an ant slave raid, Thieves, Deceivers and Killers relates tales of beetles, flowers, mussels, bacteria, and other organisms that eavesdrop on the chemical messages other species use to communicate. Not only do they eavesdrop on each other, they subvert the intercepted messages for their own ends, often killing the sender.

In contrast to Dr. Agosta's previous books on chemical messengers, wherein the material was organized by complexity or function, here he presents anecdotes demonstrating a particular biological interaction. There is the story of hawk moths, the only pollinators of western-prairie fringed orchids because their eyes are spaced just so; the one about ant-decapitating flies, who lay their eggs between an ant's head and abdomen (the decapitating occurs when the egg hatches into a maggot, which eats the ant's brain); and the case of parasitic wasps that can detect, from above ground, caterpillars hiding in ants' nests--although the ants themselves cannot detect the disguised caterpillars.

These episodes are followed by a glossary, so they are accessible to everyone. And though the anecdotes may seem to be very obscure or to involve overly exotic (and gross) creatures, Dr. Agosta amply demonstrates their relevance to human endeavors. Most notable are advances in the realms of pharmaceuticals (the discovery of new antibiotics in ants) and agriculture (the use of a fungus to control wild oats). Thieves, Deceivers and Killers ends with areas of active research and some unanswered questions, leaving us waiting eagerly for the sequel this title deserves. --Diana Gitig