What is arachnophobia?

An arachnid is a creature with eight legs, such as a spider, scorpion, tick, or mite.

An intense fear of spiders or scorpions is called arachnophobia.

Arachnophobia is common in people. A reader commented that he thought spiders were “very creepy” which is a natural feeling. 

The BBC Wildlife Magazine (March 2021) wrote that in the United Kingdom 75% of respondents in a study said that they had at least a mild fear of spiders. Extreme arachnophobia affects about 3.5% to 6.1% of the world’s population. 

Recent research shows that some people’s reactions to spiders might be a combination of fear and ‘core disgust’ which is an instinctive, reflex avoidance of whatever is perceived to be bad or dangerous for us. 

The BBC Wildlife Magazine wrote that, of the 43,000 species of spiders that we know of, fewer than 30 species have been involved in the death of humans.

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM