You’ve probably heard of arachnophobia: the very commonly held fear of spiders.
What Is Arachnophilia?
Arachnophilia, sometimes spelled arachnephilia, means “the love of spiders.” Arachnophiles study the subject of their fascination, spiders. In a kink context, however, arachnophilia refers to the spider fetish.
Yes, some people feel sexually aroused from spiders or the idea of spiders. For some with a spider fetish, the thrill is not in actual spiders but in the fantasy of or transformation aspect of someone becoming a spider—in mythology, cinema, or anime-style fictional figure with spider-like characteristics.
Read: Freaky Fetishes: 9 Strange & Crazy Kinks
Does the Spider Fetish Really Exist?
There don’t seem to be many, or perhaps any, research studies or case studies on arachnophilia as a sexual fetish.
Dr. Anil Aggrawal mentioned the spider fetish in his 2009 book, Forensic and Medico-legal Aspects of Sexual Crimes and Unusual Sexual Practices, under zoophilia fetishes. Dr. Brenda Love defined arachnophilia in Encyclopedia of Unusual Sex Practices as a fetish where people “are aroused by sex play involving spiders.”
Even Dr. Mark Griffiths, who is well known for his fascination with fetish aspects of human sexuality and behavior, finds few mentions beyond these in the literature to highlight.
Read: How Many of These 12 Weird Fetishes Do You Know?
However rare or undisclosed a particular fetish may be, such as the spider fetish, it’s a thing for someone out there. Just as people have unusual hobbies or tastes in music or art, some people somewhere find a particular thing sexually exciting, no matter what it is.
Though studies are not plentiful, you will find anecdotal confessions from folks who have arachnophilia. Some people may not use the word arachnophilia, but they admit to different experiences, sexual excitement, or fantasies that make it clear that spider play or spider fantasies dominate their behaviour and desires.
Read: Impossible Kinks and Fantasy Fetishes
What Kind of Fetish is Arachnophilia?
There’s actually quite a bit to unpack in terms of understanding arachnophilia. Surmising clues from what we know about sexual fetishes in general is most of what we know so far about the spider fetish.
From the people who have mentioned or described their spider love, we can make inferences and connections. We have a great deal to learn, and not many volunteers to learn it from, but even so, we can make some educated guesses about what’s behind arachnophilia, at least for some.
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Insect Kinks
It may or may not surprise you to know that there are other insect kinks besides arachnophilia. While sexual interest in insect play is broadly classified as a kind of zoophilia, some contest this classification. Yes, insects are a kind of animal, but insect love is often about the play, sensation, sting, or taboo, not about attraction To the insect itself. This may or may not be an important distinction.
Formicophilia is an insect fetish that is quite specific—it is the unusual sexual practice of placing a swarm of insects on your genitals. The sensation of the insects crawling, or stinging and biting, is pleasurable to these people. Arachnophilia is for some a specific kind of formicophilia.
Read: Formicophilia: Insect Fetishes and Bug Kinks
Fear Factor
Arachnophilia may be a response by some people to the adrenaline released because of a fear of spiders. Most things that are commonly feared show up on someone’s love list, whether it’s a hobby or a sexual fetish, because fear releases hormones and endorphins that can feel cathartic, not unlike having an orgasm. The release becomes sexualized.
You may often hear that someone who “is not afraid of anything” has an uncharacteristic terror of spiders. Spider fear seems to be deeply embedded into our nature, an ancient response. Arachnophilia may be connected to the rush of fear and confronting it.
Read: Fear Play: 12 Examples and Tips for Playing with Fear
BDSM: Humiliation and Degradation
For some, the fear factor and the ick factor mix up inside masochism. Spider play may be just another way to explore BDSM. Those who enjoy erotic humiliation and erotic degradation may be tormented with insects including spiders.
Read: All About Degradation Kink and How to Play
Tactile Sensations
Just as a thousand other fetishes can be about the object or they can be about the FEELING of the object, so it is with arachnophilia.
Leather can be about biker culture, the tough aesthetic, or BDSM. It can also be about the tactile feeling of leather and nothing else.
For some people, formicophilia is about the sensation of the skittering ants or spiders crawling across their skin, or the biting sensation (caution, can be dangerous!) The sensation of leggy spiders tickling my nude body does not get me going. But for many people, it does!
Read: 20 Gross Kinks and Disgusting Fetishes (at Least to Some)
Transformation Fetishes and Superhero or Goddess Fantasies
Some people aren’t really into spiders per se, but into the anthropomorphic aspects of spider goddesses, cinematic or mythological transformations of a human into Spider-Man, gothic cosplay, anime or manga, and other graphic art forms that include spider transformations.
Read: 17 Transformation Fetishes and Kinks
Merging human and animal characteristics is an ancient part of all cultures, with folklore and mythology on werewolves, centaurs, and gods that come around as swans, spiders, and wolves.
Some fetishists have no sexual interest in a spider scuttling across the floorboard, but fantasize about an arachnid-leggy woman spinning her web to snare them.
Do you have a spider fetish or know someone who does? Please share!
Tell us what you think