The Hephaestus Plague is a novel written by Thomas Page. It was first published in 1973. It was adapted for a film titled Bug in 1975.
Description[]
A destructive force is among us!
They are large, blind, carbon-eating insects, each one capable of emitting a tiny flame, each one mysteriously incapable of reproducing. Their swarm is relentless and unstoppable, leaving a wake of death and charred ruin. Scientists struggle to destroy them before they destroy the earth. All but one man. He has discovered the creatures' remarkable intelligence and a way to breed them.