Six insects face off against the Death-O-Meter to determine which will be crowned the deadliest of them all.

Meet the deadliest insects on Earth.

Whose bite is the most dangerous? Is it the bloodsucking mosquito? The teeny-tiny sandfly? The creepy body louse? Or someone else?

The host of this stiff competition, Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice, teaches the rules for insect interactions (Do not stomp! Do not squish!) and introduces the contestants.

This tale of wings and stings invites readers into the world of deadly insects: where they live, what they eat—and what could happen if you ever come into contact with one. It also encourages readers to appreciate them, showing why they're important to the places they live—and why we should protect them. With humor, accessible science, and a colorful graphic format by best-selling artist Max Temescu, The Deadliest: Insect shows that even the deadliest things in nature may not be as scary as we think.