Six-Legged Sex: The Erotic Lives of Bugs [Paperback]

James K. Wangberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 24, 2001

Why should scientists have all the fun? wonders entomologist James K. Wangberg, as he muses over the weird and interesting sexual behaviors of insects. In Six-Legged Sex: The Erotic Lives of Bugs, readers will find a rollicking, readable (and scientifically accurate) series of portraits of bugs in their most intimate moments. In fact, this book may deserve an "R" rating, or at least "PG-13," because it does contain adult language, sexual content, nudity, and violence. But none of it is gratuitous, and all of it is fun and informative.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Entomologist Wangberg knows that many scientists write up their observations on the sexual lives of insects in erudite entomological journals that circulate mainly among the initiated. Believing that, for example, a paper entitled "Sexual Selection in Resource Defense Polygyny" belies a bawdy tale just screaming to be told, Wangberg "translated" technical jargon into dozens of stories about the way boys meet girls in the insect world. Jazzed up by whimsical illustrations of bugs in action, Wangberg's vignettes anthropomorphize to humorous effect a variety of mating instincts, such as serenading, proffering gifts, and dancing--the latter apparently all the rage among fruit flies. Alas, courtship is not always so courtly: a good deal of fighting, raping, killing, and cannibalizing occurs among insects. Scientists have also studied the shapes of insect penises, couplings of tantric duration, and the swarming orgies of mayflies--and they get paid for it! But their efforts provide our amusement in this informative, slightly tongue-in-cheek look at the scientific literature. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From the Publisher

The fascinating, bizarre world of bugs in love!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing (August 24, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555912923
• ISBN-13: 978-1555912925
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #416,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars mostly for a younger audience, February 1, 2005

By 

spacedog "spacedog7" (boston, ma United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Six-Legged Sex: The Erotic Lives of Bugs (Paperback)

the content was good, but i didn't really like the format of this book; it seemed geared toward middle school students rather than adults. the short chapters, the "storytelling" tone, and the jokey drawings were distracting to me. w/ that said, i did enjoy the content (although it never went into much depth) and have a new appreciation for the sex life of bugs.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with intriguing (and often surprising) information, January 9, 2002

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Six-Legged Sex: The Erotic Lives of Bugs (Paperback)

Fans of insects and those who would learn more about their sex lives will find James Wangberg's Six-Legged Sex to be packed with intriguing (and often surprising) information about insect sex. From sex hang-outs and influences on mating habits and strategies to insect peculiarities per species, Six-Legged Sex is highly recommended for school and community library collections.