Entomophobia is an excessive or irrational fear of insects, more specifically, apiphobia (bees), myrmecophobia (ants), lepidopterophobia (moths and butterflies) and spheksophobia (wasps). A traumatic experience with an insect may trigger the phobia. In addition to bites and stings and the association with pests, plagues and infestations, it is possible that insects are terrifying because they are so unlike ourselves – skeletons outside their bodies, strange ways of moving, too many legs and multiple or enormous eyes. The Metamorphosis, entomophobia writ large; The Fly, entomophobia on film.
Photo: North Fen, Cottenham, July 2018