Most of us think of bugs as pesky creatures we inadvertently squish beneath our feet. Under the microscope of Sue Hubbell’s keen eye there emerges a world we rarely take the time to see.

Noting in her opening chapter that for every pound of us there are 300 pounds of bugs, Hubbell approaches 13 quirky comrades of our natural world by asking one simple question: “What are they up to?”

In addition to her layman’s expertise, Hubbell draws on the knowledge of various entomologists—a gregarious crew who disturb the studied calm of Capitol Hill restaurants by mimicking a katydid’s song or the mating habits of the ladybug.