Calling All Arachnophobic Entomologists: A Request for Information

Abstract

199 e.g., having to approach one in a behavioral avoidance test (Vasey et al. 2012). Development of arachnophobia may be influenced by a specific negative event (which could range from merely being frightened by the unexpected appearance of a spider during a sensitive moment to having a strong reaction to a toxic bite); however, spider-phobes often report that they have always been phobic (Jones and Menzies 1995). In something of a paradoxical situation, a survey of members of the American Tarantula Society showed that 51% of the respondents at one point had a fear of spiders, but used exposure and education to lessen their anxieties (Kleinknecht 1982). A blatantly obvious statement is that entomologists work with insects. Intriguingly, over the decades of research involving spiders, I have encountered a number of entomological colleagues who are arachnophobic, ranging from mild dislike to extreme repellent reactions. Considering the great variety of morphologies that insects display, it seems paradoxical that an entomologist would have a different reaction to spiders than to other arthropods. Two mild examples known to me include entomology faculty: one professor admitted that spiders “creeped him out” and another warned his staff during field research to avoid specific areas because of spider presence. In an example of an extreme case, a former entomology colleague, who grew up in endemic brown recluse spider territory, was so successfully indoctrinated to fear spiders by her parents that she could not photocopy a spider-related chapter from her medical entomology textbook, and she nervously asked whether tarantulas might be active during her weekend entomology field trips to the desert. On another occasion, I opened a package mailed to me Calling All Arachnophobic Entomologists: A Request for Information