Around a quarter of people are scared of insects and/or spiders. This phobia is quite strange, really, as deep down, we know that most of these tiny creatures can’t hurt us, and yet we still can’t help but shriek when they land on us or even enter our eyesight. Such a common fear, of course, has a name—entomophobia—and is more widespread than the phobia of dying or becoming a victim of a violent crime.
One way to overcome any fear is exposure, and our Bored Panda team is here to help with that today. We compiled a list of the most fascinating insects and spiders in hopes that people appreciate them more once they get to know them better. This is greatly important, as these tiny creatures do more for us than we could ever imagine. Scroll down to see them for yourself below, and don’t forget to upvote those you find coolest!
While you’re at it, make sure to check out a conversation with a professional insect educator and founder of The Entomology Box, Emily, who kindly agreed to tell us more about these misunderstood tiny critters.
#1 Found In Greece. What Is It?
Image source: Bambusbooiii
#2 Met This Lil Guy
Image source: ToToSophie
#3 I’m 40 And This Is A New One For Me
Image source: office7911
#4 I Go To One Stinkin’ Party This Whole Year And The Moth Just Had To Wear The Same Designer Outfit That I Did
Image source: hcurmudgeon
#5 An Erebus Just Flew Into My Room And Rested On My Fingers For Hours
Image source: littlekiwijuicecup
#6 Shy Sweet Face
Image source: Fraeulein-Lepus
#7 Who’s This Beetle With The Sick Flame Decals?
Image source: hornylittlegrandpa
#8 A Hummingbird Hawk-Moth
Image source: sh0tgunben
#9 This Glittery Gentleman Paid A Visit. I Bribed Him To Stay
Image source: IcySky9
#10 What Has Blessed Me Today?
Image source: ThiccyRicky
#11 My Dog Saved Him, But Who Is He?
Image source: mmargulies12
#12 Found A Bunch Of These On A Hike In South Africa, Just Wanted To Show It Off
Image source: reddit.com
#13 What Is This?
Image source: deeplanet
#14 Handsome Guy On The Job Site
Image source: mynameisrichard0
#15 Found This Little Guy In The Mountains In Ras Al Khaimah, Uae. He Is Smaller Than An American Penny, And Was Just Sitting On The Side Of A Rock
Image source: LoIiStaIin
#16 I Found This On The Trail In Northern India. Thought It Was Cool
Image source: Knobag
#17 Look At This Beautiful Baby Girl I Found On My Plants Today
Image source: Fickle-Star-9694
#18 What Type Of Bee Is This? She’s Beautiful
Image source: shaund91
#19 Adorable Little Guy
Image source: mileshehehehehe
#20 Found This On A Hydrangea. The Color Resemble The Bloom Petals. Usually The Blooms Are All White, But This Year There Is A Pink Tinge To Them. And Now This Guy Shows Up
Image source: ech01
#21 Just Found This Bug In My Garden. I Don’t Know How It’s Called But Its Similarity To The Color Of The Dry Plant Impressed Me
Image source: Dry_Abbreviations748
#22 Is That A Rare Insect?
Image source: Rks_Trk
#23 Chino Valley, Arizona
Image source: OperationFlashy5820
#24 Discocyrtus Testudineus From Chile
Image source: praxiis
#25 This Big Dingus Trying His Best To Look Like A Stick Even Though Sticks Don’t Grow On Metal Stairway Rails (Which Is Where I Found Him)
Image source: Squeaky-squash
#26 A Jewel Caterpillar Of The Dalceridae Moth Family
Image source: KimCureAll
#27 Just Laid My Hand On This Bug And Got Poked. Am I Going To Be Okay?
Image source: SwagJohnson33
#28 What Could This Be?
Image source: FFFFFFFen
#29 Any Ideas In What This Little Guy Is? Found In Kruger Park, South Africa
Image source: Robsmorrison
#30 Saw This Crawling On My Tire. Anyone Know What This Is?
Image source: RupertPupkin0987
#31 Wow! I’ve Never Seen This Before
Image source: _gavin1_
#32 Scary Looking Wasp? Thing Has Like A Scorpion Tail. Can Someone Identify? Would Be Most Grateful
Image source: weissnacht89
#33 Made A New Friend Today
Image source: reddit.com
#34 This Awesome Cicada I Found Tonight
Image source: karachristinad
#35 Found In Southeastern Brazil. Looks Like An Anteater With Shoes
Image source: Schaffinha
#36 Who? He?
Image source: A_Kozakiewicz
#37 I Watched This Guy Fight Off A Bird 10 Times His Size. This Was His Victory Pose For A Good 10+ Minutes As The Bird Perched On A Power Line, Defeated
Image source: Taylord2112
#38 In Birmingham, AL – Never Seen Something Like This Before
Image source: thegrumblestiltskin
#39 Are These Baby Grasshoppers On My Sweet Potato? Should I Have Terminated Them?
Image source: Poboys_n_kittens
#40 What’s This Thing?
Image source: whoarei007
#41 A Friend Found This On A Walk. Anyone Have Any Idea What This Is Specifically?
Image source: jradics2
#42 What Is This Bug? Found Wondering In My House In Rural Missouri
Image source: SourTangant
#43 I Forgot What This Was Called
Image source: BrushLate4439
#44 Who’s This Cool Guy With Cool Shoes?
Image source: onlinefeyre
#45 A Visiting Male Elephant Beetle (Megasoma Elephas)
Image source: loyalcr
#46 Leafrollers With Their Big Ol’ Ears Are Critically Underrated
Image source: TheArcherFrog
#47 Found This Adorable Little Nightmare. What Am I Looking At?
Image source: Brianp713
#48 Bug Found In South Texas
Image source: eldoia87
#49 Found This Lady
Image source: FreddaNotte
#50 Lancashire, UK. She Has Style, She Has Grace, She Fell Out Of A Tree And Onto My Face. Whom’st Is This Lil Friend?
Image source: Logical-Use-8657
#51 What Is This Next To My Mouth Guard
Image source: myorangeseashell
#52 Why’s This Guy Looking At Me Like That?
Homie keeps showing up on my balcony in north New Jersey, US.
Image source: yungxist
#53 Found This Guy In Shop Trying To Help Rotate Some Tires
Image source: xJTE93
#54 This Guy Just Bit Me. Do I Need To Go To The Hospital? It Sure Feels Like I Do
Mowing the lawn when I felt what felt like a blowtorch to my toe. Looked down to see this lil dude. I know he was just protecting himself so I put him back in the grass. I’m just wondering when the pain will go away or if I need to go to a hospital for like an anti-venom or something.
Image source: reddit.com
#55 What Is This? I Found It On My Neck. Im From Philippines
Image source: DarkerJet
#56 My Son’s Friend Found A Spider And Is Keeping It As A Pet! What Is This And Is It Dangerous? South Louisiana
Image source: Particular_Courage43
#57 Found This Crazy Looking Bug On My Car, Any Idea What It Is?
Image source: s0h1gh89
#58 Found In Northeast USA, So Beautiful Just Wondering What Type It Is
Image source: Acrobatic_Walk_8036
#59 My Kid Found This Caterpillar
Image source: Runts4Dinner
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