Why do spiders typically elicit more fear in people than most insects do?
In: Biology
First, let’s just get it out of the way: spiders aren’t insects, they’re arachnids.
Ok, now…
Spiders can be quite dangerous. Certainly moreso than most harmless bugs and other arachnids, but even those that also sting and bite, spiders are more likely to kill a person than a wasp sting, or an earwig pinch. (yes scorpions can also be deadly, but they’re less prevalent across the globe).
So most people believe the common nature of arachnophobia is a result of human evolution, and a survival technique of the species to fear something that could so easily kill us. Those early humans who happened to have a fear of spiders were more likely to live and pass on their DNA, increasing the chances that future generations would also share in their fear.
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