Highly suggest reading these topics for context and inspiration: https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/the-nope-response-on-social-media/1990 https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/hard-to-love-species/3402/8 I’ve shared a few times on this forum that I have an irrational (phobic) fear of spiders. Over the l…

Same here I didn’t want anything with spiders at first. It’s Inat that helped me to pay attention to them and now I have already joined the jumping spiders fan club. I have just discovered Crab spiders and Spinybacked Orbweavers last week and I am amazed. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4…

“A lot of us spiderhuggers started from a position of phobia. Including me.” So true for me! Spiders made me almost move out of my house, as each spring and autumn it was overrun with the big and furry ones. That was around 2010. It was either me or the spiders. I started a last attempt to deal wit…

[image] ajott: Spiders made me almost move out of my house, is that unreasonable to someone? :rofl: Seriously, those are amazing photos you captured I might be able to call myself an aspiring spider lover now as I’ve come a long way since my original post where I still felt firmly that I’m…

I used to be quite wary of bees and wasps, but the more I see them outside in nature doing their thing, pollinating flowers, digging nests etc, the more I am able to appreciate their beauty. Most recently I spent some of my quarantine time watching a Vespula squamosa queen (what I assume) is looking…

[image] robotpie: I think I’m getting more appreciative of cockroaches too, mostly because I now know that the majority of species are not pests and that their roles as detritivores are extremely important to the ecosystems they live in. Totally. Also, important to very frugal gardeners look…

I’ve had the same experience with spiders and snakes! (Used to be afraid but now I seek them out.) Jumping spiders are definitely the cutest! Joining Facebook pages dedicated to snakes and spiders, respectively, have really made a difference. I think education in general reduces fear, and then it’s …

I just found my first Northern Crab spider doing its classic “hide in a flower” behavior this week and I was HYPE!

I think you are totally correct about education being a big factor. I was thinking to myself the other day, as I had all sorts of involuntary reactions to the spider whose name I share, that even though I am still having those reactions my actual “fear” and psychological experience had really morph…

Thanks for the welcome! By aphids, you are in fact referring to tiny ant cows, right? How is that not objectively awesome? :wink:

"Gateway" spiders: Evolving our behavior & getting friendly with organisms on the "nope" spectrum

Nature Talk

mira_l_b May 26, 2020, 1:18am 57

and hosts for tiny parasites…

mmmm…dewlicious. moo.

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"Gateway" spiders: Evolving our behavior & getting friendly with organisms on the "nope" spectrum

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