When I was young, I was also afraid of insects, especially flying ones. But I've read somewhere that you are afraid of animals if you don't see what they are thinking. Take for example dogs or cats, you can easily see what they are "thinking", by their movement, ears, tails...

Insects are so small that you can't see that, you don't know where they are looking, or if they are afraid or not.

Looking at macro photography of insects, you can see how they are build and the spiders (especially the jumping spiders) are quite cute. Knowing how they look and their behavioural patterns, and just reading more about them, allowed me to be less afraid of them.

Now I don't know if that is "scientifically correct", but it helped me.

I have something similar with cows. I can't read their intentions. If I am walking in a field with them it just seems like they are always 'mildly annoyed by my presence' and yet they will amble straight at you. And they are big and heavy enough to do damage if they need to.

Horses on the other hand, are a lot more nervous, but I can read them and I can 'manipulate' them. They are probably more dangerous, but they are less scary to me.

Oh man, you'd have a field day with [0]. It's packed with fascinating macro photos of insects.

[0] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/379271.For_Love_of_Insec...

You have to try to see them as kind of Muppets. These moths are easy in that regard. They are sort of a mixture of silly looking, beautiful, and cutely clumsy.

There are some repellant looking arthropods, but these moths are the beginner level in getting used to looking at such creatures.

I think Muppets might be worse than insects for me.

I get the same thing with any form of biological 'inside', but outsides I"m usually fine with. Hand drawn depiction of how nasal cavities work? Eugh, dizziness and instant relation to my own gaping head.

Bug shots, bug squishing, blood in movies? Squished brain etc.? All good to most degrees.

I pass out during 2D animation demonstrations on how bodies work.

I pass out during nasal allergy tests. I can't imagine how I'll go with a covid test.... pass out most likely.

That sounds like the caveman instincts kicking in.

I really don't like moths and their unpredictable flight patterns.