Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Entomophobia

Entomophobia, also known as insectophobia, is a specific phobia defined as an extreme, persistent, and irrational fear of insects that triggers intense anxiety and avoidance behaviors disproportionate to any actual danger posed by the insects.^[1] This fear can manifest even at the thought or sight of insects, often beginning in childhood with an average onset around age 7, and it interferes with daily activities such as outdoor recreation or household tasks.^[2] As part of the broader category of animal-type specific phobias, specific phobias including entomophobia affect about 9.1% of U.S. adults in any given year (based on 2001–2003 data), with females being roughly twice as likely to experience it compared to males.^[3] Individuals with entomophobia may experience physical and emotional distress upon encountering or imagining insects, leading to avoidance of insect-prone environments and potential impairment in functioning. The condition arises from a combination of factors, including genetic predisposition, learned behaviors, and traumatic experiences. Diagnosis is based on DSM-5 criteria for specific phobias, and effective treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, particularly exposure therapy, can lead to substantial symptom reduction.^[4]

Definition and Classification

Definition

Entomophobia, also known as insectophobia, derives from the Greek words entomon (ἔντομον), meaning "insect" or "cut into sections" in reference to insect body segmentation, and phobos (φόβος), meaning "fear." This term specifically denotes an intense and irrational fear of insects, distinguishing it from mere aversion or disgust, as the phobia provokes marked anxiety and avoidance that interferes with daily functioning.^[5]^[2] As a specific phobia under the DSM-5 classification (code 300.29), entomophobia falls within the anxiety disorders category, where the fear is excessive relative to the actual danger posed by insects and persists for at least six months, often leading to significant personal or social impairment.^[6]^[7] The scope primarily encompasses true insects from the class Insecta, such as bees, ants, and cockroaches, though it may broadly include certain arachnids like spiders in common usage despite their technical classification outside Insecta; fears centered on spiders are more accurately termed arachnophobia.^[6] Unlike general disgust toward insects, which is a common and adaptive response without substantial disruption, entomophobia qualifies as a clinical condition only when the fear causes clinically significant distress or avoidance that limits activities like outdoor recreation or professional duties.^[5]^[2]

Classification and Types

Entomophobia is classified as a specific phobia within major psychiatric diagnostic frameworks. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), it is designated with the code 300.29 and falls under the animal subtype of specific phobias, which includes irrational fears directed toward insects alongside other animals such as spiders or dogs.^[6] Similarly, the International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision (ICD-11), recognizes entomophobia under the broader category of specific phobia, assigned the code 6B03, emphasizing marked fear or anxiety provoked by exposure to or anticipation of the phobic stimulus.^[8] Variations in entomophobia range from generalized fears encompassing all insects to more circumscribed forms targeting specific groups, such as stinging insects like wasps (spheksophobia) or bees (melissophobia).^[5] This phobia is distinct from acarophobia, which centers on fears of mites or ticks—arthropods outside the insect class—though clinical overlap can occur when individuals perceive broader threats from small crawling organisms, sometimes leading to misdiagnosis under terms like parasitic dermatophobia.^[5]^[9]

Causes and Risk Factors

Evolutionary and Biological Causes

Entomophobia, as a specific phobia, is thought to have roots in evolutionary preparedness, where humans are biologically predisposed to rapidly acquire fears of stimuli that posed ancestral threats, such as venomous insects or disease-carrying vectors like mosquitoes. This preparedness theory posits that certain phobias, including those toward insects, develop more easily and resist extinction more strongly due to evolved associations with survival risks, rather than through simple conditioning alone.^[10] For instance, insects capable of stinging or transmitting pathogens may have triggered avoidance behaviors in early humans, enhancing survival by minimizing exposure to infection or injury.^[11] This innate aversion is linked to the behavioral immune system, an evolved mechanism that elicits disgust and fear toward potential pathogen carriers, with insects often serving as proxies for disease risk.^[11] Biologically, entomophobia exhibits moderate genetic heritability, estimated at 28-51% based on twin studies of specific phobias and fears, indicating a significant inherited component alongside environmental influences. These estimates derive from meta-analyses of monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs, where concordance rates for animal-related phobias, including insects, suggest genetic factors contribute substantially to vulnerability. Neurobiologically, the phobia involves hyperactivity in the amygdala, a key structure in fear processing, as evidenced by fMRI studies showing heightened activation in the left amygdala and insular cortex when individuals with specific animal phobias confront insect stimuli compared to controls.^[12] This response triggers the sympathetic nervous system's fight-or-flight mechanism, releasing adrenaline to prepare for perceived threats through increased heart rate and arousal.^[12] Comparative studies in non-human primates further support these biological underpinnings, demonstrating innate avoidance of insects and preparedness for fear acquisition toward evolutionarily relevant dangers. For example, rhesus monkeys observationally conditioned to fear snakes—a proxy for venomous threats—acquire and maintain the phobia more readily than to neutral stimuli like flowers, mirroring human patterns for insect fears and suggesting conserved neural circuits for rapid threat learning.^[13] Lesion studies in primates also reveal the amygdala's role in mediating acute fear responses to potential dangers, reinforcing the evolutionary continuity of these mechanisms across species.^[14]

Psychological and Environmental Causes

Entomophobia can develop through classical conditioning, where a traumatic or negative encounter with an insect leads to a persistent fear response. For instance, a painful insect bite or an allergic reaction during childhood may associate insects with danger, triggering anxiety upon subsequent exposures.^[2]^[1] This form of conditioning is a key psychological mechanism in specific phobias, as supported by studies on fear acquisition in anxiety disorders.^[6] Learned behaviors also contribute significantly, often through observational or vicarious learning. Children may acquire entomophobia by witnessing a parent's exaggerated fear reaction to an insect, modeling this anxiety themselves via social learning processes.^[6] Cultural reinforcement exacerbates this, with media portrayals frequently depicting insects as menacing threats in films, news, or advertisements, thereby normalizing and amplifying societal aversion.^[15] Cognitive factors play a central role, involving irrational beliefs that overestimate the risk of harm from insects. Individuals with entomophobia may catastrophically interpret a harmless bug as a severe threat, heightening their fear through distorted perceptions.^[6] Anxiety sensitivity further intensifies this, as heightened awareness of bodily anxiety symptoms—such as rapid heartbeat—leads to avoidance behaviors that perpetuate the phobia.^[6] Key risk factors for developing entomophobia include female gender, with women approximately twice as likely to experience specific phobias compared to men; early childhood onset, often around age 7; and a family history of anxiety disorders, which increases vulnerability through shared genetic and environmental influences.^[3]^[1] Environmental influences shape vulnerability, with urban dwellers showing higher rates of entomophobia due to reduced early exposure to insects, fostering disgust rather than familiarity.^[16] In contrast, rural areas may see lower incidence from greater habituation, though tropical regions with abundant insect populations report elevated phobia prevalence linked to frequent negative encounters.^[17]

Symptoms and Manifestations

Physical and Emotional Symptoms

Entomophobia triggers a range of immediate physical symptoms resembling those of a panic attack upon sighting or even anticipating an insect. Common manifestations include increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, nausea, and shortness of breath, which arise from the body's fight-or-flight response activated by the perceived threat.^[18]^[19] Individuals may also report sensations of itching or insects crawling on their skin, even in the absence of actual insects, contributing to the distress.^[5] These symptoms often intensify with greater proximity to the insect, escalating from mild discomfort to severe physiological distress.^[2] Emotionally, individuals experience intense anxiety, dread, and panic, despite recognizing the fear as irrational.^[4] This affective response can lead to feelings of detachment from one's surroundings, heightening the overall terror.^[4] In severe cases, the emotional turmoil may contribute to behavioral avoidance as an immediate coping mechanism.^[19] The onset of these symptoms is rapid, typically peaking within minutes of exposure to the trigger, while the full episode may persist for hours depending on the individual's reaction and removal from the stimulus.^[20] Additional somatic effects, such as hyperventilation and nausea, further underscore the autonomic nervous system's overactivation.^[18] The intensity varies widely, influenced by factors like the type of insect and personal history, but consistently disrupts normal functioning during the episode.

Behavioral Responses

Individuals with entomophobia commonly exhibit avoidance behaviors as a primary response to their fear, actively steering clear of insect-prone environments such as gardens, forests, parks, or any outdoor settings where encounters might occur. This may involve altering daily routes to avoid grassy areas or wooded paths, or refusing to enter buildings with known pest issues, thereby minimizing perceived risks of exposure. Additionally, excessive use of insect repellents, insecticides, or protective measures like long clothing and screens is prevalent, even in controlled indoor spaces. These actions are characteristic of specific phobias, where avoidance serves to prevent the intense anxiety triggered by physical symptoms such as palpitations or sweating upon sighting an insect.^[6] Such avoidance strategies frequently interfere with occupational and social functioning, leading to significant lifestyle disruptions. For example, professionals in fields like landscaping, entomology, or outdoor recreation may change careers or call in sick to evade work-related insect exposure, while social invitations involving picnics, beach outings, or camping are often declined, straining relationships and reducing quality of life. In severe cases, these limitations persist for at least six months, meeting diagnostic criteria for impairment in specific phobia.^[6] Compulsive actions also manifest, including hypervigilance where individuals remain in a constant state of alertness, scanning surroundings for potential insect threats, which can exhaust mental resources and heighten overall stress. Repeated checking behaviors, such as inspecting bedding, clothing, or skin for insects, become ritualistic, particularly in contexts like fears of infestations from species such as bed bugs. This hypervigilance and checking are observable in insect-related phobias, contributing to ongoing distress during unavoidable exposures.^[21] If left unaddressed, these behavioral patterns can evolve into long-term effects, fostering agoraphobia-like restrictions where individuals increasingly confine themselves to sterile, indoor environments to eliminate any insect risk, further isolating them socially and functionally. This generalization of avoidance heightens vulnerability to comorbid conditions like depression, underscoring the progressive impact on overall well-being.^[6]

Diagnosis and Assessment

Diagnostic Criteria

Entomophobia is diagnosed as a specific phobia under the DSM-5 criteria for specific phobia, subtype animal (insects). The diagnostic standards require marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation, in this case insects, where exposure to the phobic stimulus nearly always provokes an immediate fear response.^[6] The individual must actively avoid the phobic object or endure it with intense fear or anxiety, and this fear must be out of proportion to the actual danger posed by insects and to sociocultural contexts.^[6] Furthermore, the fear, anxiety, or avoidance must persist for at least six months and cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other key areas of functioning.^[6] The symptoms cannot be better explained by another mental disorder, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder.^[6] Assessment typically involves structured clinical interviews, such as the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-5 (ADIS-5), which evaluates the presence, severity, and impact of phobic symptoms through semi-structured questioning of the patient and, if applicable, family members.^[22] Self-report scales are also employed, including adaptations of the Spider Phobia Questionnaire (SPQ) for insects, which measures cognitive, behavioral, and physiological aspects of fear through items assessing avoidance and distress levels.^[23] The Severity Measure for Specific Phobia—Adult, a 10-item clinician-rated scale from the American Psychiatric Association, quantifies symptom intensity on a 0-4 scale across domains like distress and interference. Clinical evaluation begins with a detailed history-taking to determine the onset, duration, and specific triggers of the fear, such as particular insect types or environments, alongside a review of symptom manifestations like those involving physical or emotional responses.^[2] Medical conditions that could mimic or exacerbate symptoms, such as insect allergies causing physical reactions, must be ruled out through physical examination or referral to specialists.^[5] Entomophobia is common in children, with specific phobias affecting 5-11% of youth lifetime prevalence, but it is diagnosable only if it causes significant impairment in daily functioning.^[24] Remission rates are higher in youth compared to adults, with natural or partial remission occurring in up to 60% of cases over time without intervention, though persistent cases warrant clinical attention.^[25]

Differential Diagnosis

Entomophobia, as a specific phobia under the animal subtype in DSM-5 criteria, must be differentiated from other phobias targeting distinct stimuli, such as arachnophobia, which involves an intense fear of spiders and other arachnids rather than insects.^[6] While both are classified as specific phobias and may share avoidance behaviors, arachnophobia excludes insects like ants or beetles, focusing instead on eight-legged arthropods, allowing clinicians to distinguish based on the precise trigger.^[2] Similarly, entomophobia differs from zoophobia, a broader fear encompassing various animals beyond insects, where the anxiety is not limited to entomological stimuli but extends to mammals, birds, or reptiles.^[6] Medical conditions mimicking entomophobia include hypersensitivity or allergies to insect stings, where physical symptoms like swelling or anaphylaxis arise from actual biological reactions rather than irrational fear.^[5] In contrast, entomophobia involves disproportionate anxiety without a verifiable allergic basis, as confirmed through medical evaluation excluding IgE-mediated responses.^[5] Another mimic is delusional parasitosis, a somatic delusion where individuals firmly believe they are infested by insects or parasites, often presenting with self-inflicted skin lesions from attempts to remove imagined invaders, unlike the insight-preserving fear in entomophobia.^[26] Psychiatric overlaps require careful assessment to rule out generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), characterized by pervasive, non-specific worry across multiple domains lasting at least six months, whereas entomophobia anxiety is cued exclusively by insect-related stimuli.^[6] Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with contamination themes may superficially resemble entomophobia through insect-related avoidance, but OCD features intrusive obsessions and ritualistic compulsions, such as excessive cleaning, not merely phobic evasion.^[6] Entomophobia frequently co-occurs with other anxiety disorders, including panic disorder. Panic attacks in specific phobias are typically triggered (cued) by the phobic stimulus, in contrast to the often uncued attacks in panic disorder. Careful evaluation is needed to determine the primary condition.^[6] Diagnostic assessment builds on DSM-5 criteria by excluding these comorbidities through structured interviews to identify the dominant pathology.^[6]

Treatment Approaches

Psychotherapy Options

Psychotherapy represents the cornerstone of evidence-based treatment for entomophobia, focusing on structured interventions to reframe fearful responses and reduce avoidance behaviors associated with insects. Among these, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) serves as the primary approach, integrating cognitive restructuring to challenge irrational beliefs—such as perceiving insects as inherently dangerous— with behavioral experiments that encourage gradual confrontation of feared stimuli. This dual focus helps individuals develop more adaptive thought patterns and coping strategies, leading to significant fear reduction in the majority of cases.^[27] Exposure therapy, often embedded within CBT protocols, is particularly effective for entomophobia and involves graduated exposure to insect-related cues to desensitize the fear response. Techniques include imaginal exposure, where patients vividly imagine insect encounters while practicing relaxation; in vivo exposure, entailing real-life controlled interactions with insects; and virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) exposure, which simulates insect presence in a safe, controlled environment. Systematic desensitization pairs these exposures with progressive muscle relaxation or breathing exercises to build tolerance. Studies on specific phobias, including insect fears, demonstrate efficacy rates of 80-90% in reducing phobia severity, with many individuals achieving substantial symptom remission post-treatment.^[28] For cases where entomophobia links to underlying trauma, such as a past negative insect encounter, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) offers a targeted modality by processing traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation, typically eye movements, to diminish emotional distress tied to the phobia. EMDR's phobia protocol adapts standard procedures for specific fears, emphasizing preparation and safe exposure elements, and has shown promise in alleviating anxiety for trauma-linked phobias. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), another complementary approach, promotes acceptance of fearful thoughts without avoidance, using mindfulness and value-driven actions to enhance psychological flexibility in the face of insect triggers. ACT has demonstrated effectiveness in treating anxiety disorders, including specific phobias, by fostering long-term resilience rather than fear elimination.^[29]^[30] Treatment duration for these psychotherapies typically spans 8-12 sessions, delivered weekly to allow for processing and homework integration, though intensive formats like one-session exposure can achieve comparable outcomes in motivated individuals. Both individual and group formats are utilized, with individual therapy allowing personalized pacing and group settings providing peer support and normalized experiences, though individual approaches predominate for severe entomophobia. Pharmacological adjuncts may occasionally support psychotherapy by managing acute anxiety during exposures, but they are not a primary focus.^[27]^[31]

Pharmacological and Alternative Treatments

Pharmacological interventions for entomophobia target symptom relief rather than addressing the root fear, typically serving as adjuncts to psychotherapy. Short-term anxiolytics, such as benzodiazepines like lorazepam, are employed to alleviate acute panic during insect encounters by enhancing GABA activity in the brain, providing rapid sedation but limited to occasional use due to tolerance risks.^[27] Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including sertraline, are prescribed for comorbid generalized anxiety, modulating serotonin to diminish overall fear intensity over weeks of consistent use.^[32] Beta-blockers, such as propranolol, mitigate physical manifestations like tachycardia and tremors by antagonizing adrenaline receptors, offering targeted relief without sedative effects.^[33] Alternative treatments emphasize non-drug modalities for fear modulation. Hypnotherapy facilitates subconscious reprogramming of fear responses through guided relaxation and suggestion, with systematic reviews supporting its efficacy in reducing phobia severity, particularly when integrated with exposure elements.^[34] Biofeedback trains physiological self-regulation, such as heart rate variability, to interrupt autonomic arousal during phobia triggers; preliminary research explores its use as an adjunct to exposure therapy for specific phobias.^[35] Virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy, an emerging innovation, immerses users in customizable insect simulations to desensitize responses safely; recent studies as of 2025 show VR exposure therapy efficacy comparable to traditional methods, with general exposure therapy success rates around 86%.^[36] Adjunctive methods complement core treatments by fostering resilience. Mindfulness meditation cultivates non-judgmental awareness of anxious thoughts, lowering avoidance behaviors in specific phobias as evidenced by clinical guidelines.^[37] Acupuncture, targeting acupoints to balance energy flow, has been explored for anxiety disorders, but systematic reviews indicate insufficient high-quality evidence for its efficacy in anxiety or specific phobias.^[38] Key considerations include the non-curative nature of pharmacological options, which best support therapy but risk side effects like drowsiness from benzodiazepines or gastrointestinal issues from SSRIs, alongside dependency potential requiring monitored short-term application.^[33] Alternative approaches like VR and biofeedback enhance accessibility but demand professional oversight to ensure efficacy and prevent dropout.^[27]

Cultural and Historical Context

Historical Perspectives

The recognition of entomophobia, or the irrational fear of insects, has roots in early observations of human aversion to arthropods, though systematic psychological study emerged later. In ancient Roman texts, naturalists like Pliny the Elder documented insects extensively in his Natural History (circa 77 CE), describing their behaviors and perceived dangers, which implicitly reflected societal unease with creatures associated with disease and decay, though explicit phobias were not delineated.^[39] By the 19th century, case studies within the framework of hysteria began linking intense fears of insects to neurotic conditions. For instance, the 1899 "Kissing Bug Scare" in the United States involved widespread hysteria over assassin bugs allegedly biting and killing people, illustrating how insect-related anxieties could manifest as collective phobic reactions tied to emerging medical and entomological reports.^[40] These accounts portrayed insect phobias as symptoms of broader hysterical disorders, often in women, amid Victorian cultural associations of insects with filth, invasion, and moral decay.^[41] The early 20th century marked a shift toward psychoanalytic interpretations, with Sigmund Freud viewing phobias, including those of insects, as manifestations of symbolic anxiety rooted in unconscious conflicts. In works like "Obsessions and Phobias" (1895), Freud differentiated phobias from obsessions, positing that they displaced deeper libidinal anxieties onto external objects; for example, he interpreted fears of insect bites, such as from spiders, as symbolic representations of castration anxiety or repressed sexual impulses.^[42]^[43] This perspective influenced early clinical understandings, framing entomophobia as a neurotic symptom amenable to analysis rather than mere superstition. The behaviorist turn in the 1920s further transformed phobia research, emphasizing learned conditioning over symbolism. John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner's 1920 "Little Albert" experiment conditioned a fear response in an infant to a white rat through association with loud noises, providing empirical evidence that phobias could be acquired via classical conditioning and generalizing to similar stimuli like furry animals—laying groundwork for insect phobia models.^[44] Key experimental advancements in the 1920s built on this, with Mary Cover Jones' 1924 study on "Little Peter" demonstrating fear extinction through gradual desensitization. Jones exposed a three-year-old boy with multiple animal phobias, including to rats and rabbits, to the feared objects while providing positive reinforcement like eating, successfully reducing his anxieties without full re-traumatization; this work pioneered counterconditioning techniques applicable to entomophobia. By mid-century, entomophobia gained formal psychiatric recognition. The first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-I, 1952) classified it under "phobic reaction," describing it as a neurotic fear of specific objects like insects, excessive and leading to avoidance, marking its entry into standardized diagnostic frameworks.^[45] Post-World War II developments accelerated therapeutic approaches, with Joseph Wolpe's 1958 systematic desensitization—developed from treating soldiers' war neuroses—involving hierarchical exposure to phobic stimuli while in a relaxed state, originating from observations of anxiety inhibition during WWII military service.^[46] These milestones shifted entomophobia from anecdotal hysteria to a treatable conditioned response.

Representation in Culture

In various folklore traditions, insects have been depicted as harbingers of divine punishment or chaos. In the Bible, locust swarms are frequently portrayed as instruments of God's wrath, as seen in the Book of Exodus where they devastate Egypt's crops during the plagues, symbolizing apocalyptic destruction and overwhelming natural forces.^[47] Similarly, in medieval European folklore, locusts were rendered as demonic chimeras in church art, such as gargoyles combining insect features with human-like heads to evoke fear of vengeance.^[47] Among Native American cultures, insects often embody spiritual entities; for instance, in Hopi mythology, cicadas are associated with kachina spirits representing ancestral insect forms, while Navajo emergence stories feature insects like ants, dragonflies, and beetles as inhabitants of underworld realms guiding human origins.^[48]^[49] Literature has long amplified the horror of insect transformation to explore themes of alienation and disgust. Franz Kafka's 1915 novella The Metamorphosis exemplifies this, where protagonist Gregor Samsa awakens as a giant vermin, evoking profound psychological unease through the insect's "monstrous otherness" and societal rejection, reflecting broader entomophobic anxieties about bodily invasion and dehumanization.^[50] In film, entomophobia is heightened through visceral depictions of hybrid monstrosities. The 1958 science-fiction horror The Fly, directed by Kurt Neumann, portrays a scientist's teleportation accident merging him with a housefly, resulting in a grotesque hybrid that amplifies primal disgust toward insects as invasive and corrupting entities, influencing subsequent body-horror genres.^[51] Modern media frequently casts insects as monstrous antagonists, reinforcing cultural fears. In video games like Starship Troopers (1997) and the Earth Defense Force series, swarms of giant arachnids and bugs serve as relentless enemies, embodying overwhelming invasions that tap into entomophobic tropes of uncontrollable hordes.^[52] Television shows such as Star Trek episodes featuring insectoid aliens further portray them as alien threats, perpetuating stereotypes of insects as otherworldly predators. Social media memes often humorously exaggerate reactions to everyday insects, like cockroaches or spiders, thereby normalizing and amplifying avoidance behaviors through viral content that mocks or shares panic.^[52] Societal attitudes toward entomophobia reveal gendered patterns and broader implications for environmental engagement. Studies indicate higher prevalence among women, with 21.2% of females meeting criteria for specific phobias (including animal types like insects) compared to 10.9% of males, potentially influenced by cultural socialization of disgust responses.^[53] This fear also hinders conservation efforts, as entomophobia fosters avoidance and negative stereotypes that disconnect people from insects' ecological roles, reducing support for biodiversity initiatives and exacerbating declines in insect populations.^[11]^[54]

References

[1]
What is entomophobia? Symptoms, causes, and treatment
Oct 21, 2022 · Entomophobia is a fear of insects. A person with entomophobia may experience anxiety, nausea, and an increased heart rate.What is it? · Symptoms · Causes · DiagnosisMissing: definition | Show results with:definition
[2]
Entomophobia: Extreme Fear of Insects, How It's Diagnosed & Treated
May 2, 2019 · Entomophobia, or fear of insects, causes overwhelming feelings of anxiety that typically interfere with daily life. Several types of therapy can help to ease ...Symptoms · Treatment · Diagnosis
[3]
Specific Phobia
### Prevalence Statistics for Specific Phobias
[4]
Entomophobia: Managing a Fear of Insects - Verywell Health
May 5, 2025 · Entomophobia is an irrational and persistent fear of bugs. Those with a fear of insects may go to great lengths to avoid them, or they will ...
[5]
Entomophobia (Fear of Insects): Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
Entomophobia is a fear of insects. People with this specific phobia feel anxious when they think about or see an insect.Missing: etymology | Show results with:etymology
[6]
Specific Phobia - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - NIH
Specific phobia is a common anxiety disorder. Patients with specific phobias experience anxiety and panic attacks along with unreasonable fear of exposure.Missing: etymology | Show results with:etymology
[7]
What are Anxiety Disorders? - American Psychiatric Association
Phobias, Specific Phobia. A specific phobia is excessive and persistent fear of a specific object, situation or activity that is generally not harmful.
[8]
[PDF] Clinical descriptions and diagnostic requirements for ICD-11 mental ...
Clinical descriptions and diagnostic requirements for ICD-11 mental, behavioural and neurodevelopmental disorders. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2024.Missing: entomophobia | Show results with:entomophobia
[9]
Entomophobia, acarophobia, parasitic dermatophobia or delusional ...
Entomophobia or acarophobia, parasitic dermatophobia (PD) or delusional parasitosis (DP) is a disorder in which affected individuals has the mistaken but ...Missing: overlap | Show results with:overlap
[10]
Evolutionary psychology of entomophobia and its implications for ...
Aug 9, 2023 · We discuss the formation processes of entomophobia and its consequences from an evolutionary psychological perspective.Missing: context adaptive maladaptive<|control11|><|separator|>
[11]
Phobias and Preparedness - Republished Article - PubMed
In this view, phobias are seen as instances of highly "prepared" learning (Seligman, 1970). Such prepared learning is selective, highly resistant to extinction ...Missing: specific insects
[12]
Evolutionary psychology of entomophobia and its implications for ...
Entomophobia is prevalent in modern societies, and some in the academic community argue that it is likely rooted in human evolutionary history [9].Missing: etymology | Show results with:etymology
[13]
A meta-analytic review of neuroimaging studies of specific phobia to ...
Data analyses showed greater brain activity in the left amygdala and insular cortex in phobic individuals. We also observed an activation of the fusiform gyrus, ...
[14]
Observational conditioning of fear to fear-relevant versus fear ...
The videotaped models were the same models used in Experiment 1. All monkeys were living at the Harlow Primate Laboratory at the time of the experiment. Stimuli ...
[15]
The Primate Amygdala Mediates Acute Fear But Not the Behavioral ...
Mar 15, 2001 · As a prelude to investigating the neural circuitry mediating normal and pathological fear and anxiety responses in primates, we characterized ...
[16]
[PDF] Human Attitudes Toward Insects and Spiders - bioRxiv
Aug 2, 2025 · The media is a strong influencer of the public perception of insects, often perpetuating negative typecasts by portraying them as pests, threats ...
[17]
Bug Phobia: The Root Cause of Your Fear of Insects
Oct 6, 2023 · Entomophobia is the fear of insects and bugs. If the sight of a creepy crawly critter sends you into a panic, you likely suffer from this phobia.Missing: generalized | Show results with:generalized
[18]
Root Causes and Contributing Factors of Entomophobia
Cognitive Distortions and Negative Beliefs. Catastrophic Thinking: One common cognitive distortion associated with Entomophobia is catastrophic thinking.
[19]
Why do so many modern people hate insects? The urbanization ...
... insect phobia as a barrier to adopting insects in Western diets), and incur nonmaterial costs such as cultural erosion and avoidance of nature. Because ...
[20]
Fear towards insects and other arthropods: A cross sectional study ...
Aug 9, 2025 · This study revealed fear of arthropods is prevalent among university students in Malaysia. Persistent fear toward arthropods can lead to entomophobia.<|control11|><|separator|>
[21]
Specific phobias - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
Jun 9, 2023 · Specific phobias are an extreme fear of objects or situations that pose little or no danger but make you highly anxious.Missing: etymology | Show results with:etymology
[22]
Phobias: What They Are, Causes, Symptoms & Treatments
Feb 22, 2023 · Specific phobia criteria. You experience strong fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation. Encountering a phobia trigger causes ...<|separator|>
[23]
Panic attacks and panic disorder - Symptoms and causes
May 4, 2018 · A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause.
[24]
Emotional Responses to Bed Bug Encounters: Effects of Sex ... - NIH
Jul 24, 2025 · More specifically, disgust and fear are considered withdrawal behaviors, prompting individuals to distance themselves from a negative stimulus, ...
[25]
9 Specific Phobia - Oxford Academic
This chapter looks at the Specific Phobia module in the Anxiety and Related Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-5, Child and Parent Version: Child Interview ...
[26]
Insectophobia, Entomophobia and Acarophobia Therapy with VR
Aug 28, 2025 · People with entomophobia experience severe anxiety symptoms when encountering insects or even thinking about them.
[27]
Specific Phobias in Youth: A Randomized Controlled Trial ... - NIH
Sep 21, 2014 · The lifetime prevalence rates in children and adolescents range from 5 – 11%, depending on the type of SP (Kessler, Berglund, Demler, Jin, & ...Missing: entomophobia | Show results with:entomophobia
[28]
Rates and predictors of remission in young women with specific ...
Of the 137 women with specific phobia at baseline, 41.6% were partially remitted and an additional 19.0% were fully remitted at follow-up, defined as absence of ...
[29]
[Entomophobia and delusional parasitosis] - PubMed
Entomophobia is an abnormal and persistent fear of insects. Sufferers experience anxiety even though they realize that most insects pose no threat.Missing: causes | Show results with:causes
[30]
Panic Disorder: Practice Essentials, Background, Etiology
Jun 25, 2024 · Other psychiatric disorders that occur comorbidity with panic disorder include schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, specific phobias, ...Missing: entomophobia | Show results with:entomophobia
[31]
Treatment - Phobias - NHS
In particular, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been found to be very effective for treating phobias. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT is a ...Missing: insect | Show results with:insect
[32]
The efficacy of augmented reality exposure therapy in the treatment ...
Feb 19, 2024 · The evidence for the use of Augmented Reality (AR) in treating specific phobias has been growing. However, issues of accessibility persist, ...
[33]
[PDF] EMDR Therapy for Specific Fears and Phobias: The Phobia Protocol
EMDR Therapy may be particularly useful for phobic conditions with high levels of anxiety, with a traumatic origin or with a clear beginning, and for which it ...Missing: entomophobia | Show results with:entomophobia
[34]
Treating Phobias With Positive Psychology: 15 Approaches
Jun 28, 2024 · Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) offers a unique approach to treating phobias (Sharp, 2012). By fostering acceptance of uncomfortable ...
[35]
One-session treatment for specific phobias - PubMed
Mean treatment time was 2.1 h and at follow-up after an average of 4 yr 90% were much improved or completely recovered. Publication types. Research Support, Non ...
[36]
Specific Phobia Treatment | Psych Central
Antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are often used to treat specific phobias. SSRIs regulate the levels of serotonin ...Diagnosis · Therapy · MedicationsMissing: entomophobia | Show results with:entomophobia
[37]
Treating Phobias With Medications - Verywell Mind
May 23, 2024 · Three types of antidepressants are FDA-approved to treat social anxiety disorder: Effexor (venlafaxine), Paxil (paroxetine), and Zoloft (sertraline).Missing: entomophobia | Show results with:entomophobia
[38]
Efficacy of Hypnosis on Dental Anxiety and Phobia - PubMed
Apr 20, 2022 · However, the results of the systematic review are promising in that hypnosis can also be regarded as powerful and successful method for anxiety ...
[39]
Effects of heart rate variability biofeedback during exposure to fear ...
Mar 16, 2018 · Specific phobias are among the most common anxiety disorders. Exposure therapy is the treatment of choice for specific phobias.
[40]
https://www.toptenz.net/the-true-stories-behind-historical-mass-panics.php
[41]
Specific phobias - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic
Jun 9, 2023 · ... physical symptoms of anxiety and stress. Physical activity and exercise may help manage anxiety related to specific phobias. More ...
[42]
Effectiveness of acupuncture on anxiety disorder: a systematic ...
Jan 30, 2021 · Our findings suggest that acupuncture therapy aimed at reducing anxiety in patients with GAD has certain beneficial effects compared to controls.
[43]
The Entomology of Pliny the Elder - Biodiversity Heritage Library
Title. The Entomology of Pliny the Elder ; Type. Article ; Date of Publication. 1926 ; Original Publication. Journal of the New York Entomological Society ; Volume.
[44]
The True Stories Behind Historical Mass Panics - Toptenz.net
Nov 14, 2019 · Historian Mary Matossian put forward the idea that the mass hysteria was caused by ergot poisoning. This has long been a favorite explanation ...
[45]
Creepy Victorians - Insect Week
Victorians saw insects as unsettling, representing change, and linked them to dark themes, like mind-control, and the fear of disease.
[46]
Reading Freud's “Obsessions and Phobias: Their Psychical ...
Apr 4, 2020 · Freud claims that obsessions and phobias are better understood in their relationship to what he refers to as neuroses.
[47]
Deep Memories of Insects | Psychology Today
Feb 17, 2017 · Insects symbolized psychological problems. For example, Freud proposed that the fear of being bitten by a spider represented the fear of being ...
[48]
Little Albert Experiment (Watson & Rayner) - Simply Psychology
Sep 9, 2025 · If Albert's reactions were due to general sensitization, the experiment would not be strong evidence for the conditioning of phobias in humans.
[49]
Specific phobias - PMC - NIH
The diagnosis of phobic reaction was described in two short paragraphs in the first edition of the American Psychiatric Association DSM in 1952, which stated ...
[50]
Joseph Wolpe's Theories and Accomplishments - Study.com
Joseph Wolpe developed systematic desensitization in 1958. During World War II, Wolpe cared for soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Wolpe ...
[51]
Civilizations and Locusts: God's wrath or revelation?
Mar 9, 2018 · Since the time of the Pharaohs, Locusts have been seen as a symbol of destruction – the wrath of God or a sign of cosmic disorder.
[52]
Cicadas and Religious Symbolism - Discover the Bible
May 16, 2021 · In Hopi mythology, there is a cicada kachina (or spirit-being). Like the Navajo, the Hopi believed that their ancestors had insect form.Missing: folklore | Show results with:folklore
[53]
The Story of the Emergence, from Navajo Legends
Holatsí Dĭlyĭ′le (dark ants) lived there. Holatsí Lĭtsí (red ants) lived there. Tanĭlaí (dragon flies) lived there. Tsaltsá (yellow beetles) lived there.
[54]
The Social Peril (and Promise) of Entomophobia - Psychology Today
May 17, 2018 · Perhaps the best literary example of this entomological feature is Franz Kafka's, The Metamorphosis. While this story is unsettling, it ...
[55]
Have No Fear | Baron Pest Solutions
Nov 29, 2022 · Entomophobia is the term for people that ... The common housefly was transformed into a terrifying creature in The Fly released in 1958.
[56]
Big Creepy-Crawlies - TV Tropes
The Big Creepy-Crawlies trope as used in popular culture. Giant bugs. They are bugs or muppets or Serkis Folk, whichever, but all are mad creepy.
[57]
Gender and age differences in the prevalence of specific fears and ...
In total, 21.2% women and 10.9% men met criterias for any single specific phobia. Multiple phobias was reported by 5.4% of the females and 1.5% of the males.
[58]
Evolutionary psychology of entomophobia and its implications for ...
While aversion to insects or entomophobia is driven by a range of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral traits that evolved to avoid diseases (Fukano and Soga, ...