In defence of the world’s most reviled invertebrate ‘bugs’

Small, Ernest

doi:10.1080/14888386.2019.1663636

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 161 publications

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“…Conservation is urgently needed for some fleas, their hosts, and ecosystems [158][159][160][161][162][163][164][165] since fleas could play important but poorly understood roles in their communities [166][167][168][169][170]. Therefore, flea surveys would be helpful in every biogeographical realm.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flea (Insecta: Siphonaptera) Family Diversity

Bossard,

Lareschi,

Urdapilleta

et al. 2023

Preprint

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This overview of extant Siphonaptera lists 19 families with major hosts and general distribution, estimated numbers of genera, species, and subspecies, with a brief taxonomic and phylogenetic review. With around 10 new species described annually, global flea fauna has an estimated extant 249 genera, 2215 species, and 714 subspecies, mostly mammal parasites but 5% of species are on birds. Host specificity varies from euryxenous (i.e. infesting two or more host orders)(e.g. cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis felis) to monoxenous (e.g. rabbit fleas, Spilopsyllus cuniculi) . The largest family is the paraphyletic Hystrichopsyllidae, making up a third of all flea species. The largest monophyletic family, Ceratophyllidae (rodent and bird fleas), comprise another 20%, and has dispersed to every continent including Antarctica. Fleas descend from scorpionflies (Mecoptera), possibly snow scorpionflies (Boreidae) or Nannochoristidae, and even giant fossils found from the Mesozoic could be Siphonaptera. Flea diversification shows evidence of taxon cycles: "Relict" families such as helmet fleas (Stephanocircidae) have a disjunct distribution reflecting the breakup of Gondwanaland, 70 million years ago. "Niche specialists" include nest fleas (Anomiopsyllus), bat fleas (Ischnopsyllidae), and burrowing fleas, the chigoes (Tungidae). By contrast, Ceratophyllidae fleas could be considered "great speciators". Cat fleas and several other synanthropic flea species are invasive "supertramps". Although those species are intensively studied, many flea species and their hosts require urgent surveys and conservation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flea (Insecta: Siphonaptera) Family Diversity

Bossard,

Lareschi,

Urdapilleta

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Biophobic individuals may avoid potentially stressful situations by staying away from natural environments (Norberg et al., 2023) or striving to keep their homes free from unwanted ‘visitors’ such as cockroaches, ants, mosquitoes and spiders (Soga et al., 2023). Even among those who do not exhibit pronounced biophobia, tolerance levels for the presence of these invertebrates in homes are typically very low (Kellert, 1993; Wang et al., 2019), probably since terrestrial arthropods (hereafter referred to collectively as ‘insects’) rank among the world's most unpopular categories of living organisms (Lockwood, 2013; Prokop & Randler, 2018; Prokop, Usak, et al., 2010; Small, 2019). Consequently, the threshold for taking action against cockroaches, for instance, is often the sighting of a single specimen (Sarisky et al., 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, the threshold for taking action against cockroaches, for instance, is often the sighting of a single specimen (Sarisky et al., 2008). Likewise, the presence of only a few cockroaches can harm the reputation of restaurants, supermarkets, hotels and cruise ships (Small, 2019). Therefore, it is hardly surprising that many people not only act quickly to eliminate insects in their homes but also use the term ‘extermination’ to describe what they perceive as the appropriate response to these creatures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to this theory, disgust‐linked aversive reactions serve to protect an individual from potential contaminants that could lead to infection. However, while certain insects such as cockroaches and maggots are indeed associated with pathogen‐laden dead organic matter, most insect species do not vector infectious diseases (Small, 2019). This does not necessarily contradict the parasite avoidance theory, as illustrated by the smoke detector principle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even among those who do not exhibit pronounced biophobia, tolerance levels for the presence of these invertebrates in homes are typically very low (Kellert, 1993;Wang et al, 2019), probably since terrestrial arthropods (hereafter referred to collectively as 'insects') rank among the world's most unpopular categories of living organisms (Lockwood, 2013;Prokop & Randler, 2018;Prokop, Usak, et al, 2010;Small, 2019). Consequently, the threshold for taking action against cockroaches, for instance, is often the sighting of a single specimen (Sarisky et al, 2008).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Does aversion to insects affect insecticide use? An elusive answer calls for improved methods in biophobia research

Gish,

Hisano,

Soga

2024

People and Nature

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Insecticides are commonly used to control insects and other arthropods in homes (hereafter collectively referred to as ‘insects’). Although aversion to insects might encourage the use of insecticides, it is unclear whether such feelings truly influence the decision to use insecticides. We investigated the connection between feelings of disgust towards insects and the use of household insecticides. Our aim was to uncover the unexplored emotional drivers of insecticide use, in order to provide insights that might help develop new programmes to reduce exposure to household insecticides. We conducted an online survey (n = 2500) that focussed on insecticide use and disgust feelings towards six species commonly found in homes (cockroaches, ants, spiders, mosquitoes, flies and centipedes). Respondents rated their level of disgust towards these species and reported various beliefs and practices related to household insects and insect control. Approximately 70% of respondents expressed strong disgust towards these species (ratings of 6 or 7 on a scale of 1–7). More than half (53.3%) reported using aerosol insecticides in their homes in the 6 months prior to the survey. Path analyses highlighted several factors that influenced insecticide use, including infestation level, disgust intensity, lack of knowledge about arthropods and aversion to chemicals. However, the observed effect sizes were modest, particularly regarding the influence of disgust on insecticide use, which somewhat constrains our study's contribution to the understanding of the motivators driving household insecticide use. We explain how our findings potentially reflect a critical methodological limitation in the standard methods commonly used for measuring aversion in biophobia (fear of nature) research. This limitation originates from the fact that highly aversive animals often provoke extreme reactions from most participants, resulting in a very low data variation that hinders data analysis. We address this concern in the context of our findings and propose potential solutions that could pave the way for future research on how attitudes towards highly aversive animals affect individuals, society, and the relationships between people and nature. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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The impact of city animal and plant raising on people’s level of disgust towards ants and yellow jackets

Farkhary,

Neyazi

2024

J Insect Conserv

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Studies have shown that urban life and less contact with nature can increase disgust towards insects and gardening reduces the level of disgust towards them. Since animals and plants are part of nature, our hypothesis in this research was that keeping animals and plants in the city is somehow contact with nature and has an effect on reducing disgust towards insects. To test this hypothesis, a questionnaire was distributed to 1092 people randomly in Kabul city. The level of disgust against ants and yellow jackets among those who raise animals and plants is lower than that of those who do not. The reasons for disgusting ants and yellow jackets included fear, contamination, appearance, lack of interaction, and unfamiliarity, and they were different between those who raise animals and plants and those who do not.The motivation to destroy ants and yellow jackets was higher among those who do not raise animals and plants. On the other side, there is a strong association between level of disgust and reaction against yellow jackets and ants. These ndings show that raising animals and plants in the city can reduce the level of disgust against insects which supports their conservation. To reduce the disgust towards insects, we suggest encouraging the keeping of animals and plants in the city, and a decrease in the level of disgust will reduce a strong reaction (like killing) towards them. For more clari cation, research is needed on the effects of different types of raising animals and plants. Implications for insect conservationRaising animals and plants can reduce the level of disgust toward insects since the response to insects (No action, Eliminate or Escape, Kill) is closely correlated with that level of disgust. Therefore, encouraging the growth of animals and plants in cities is advised in order to preserve insects.

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In defence of the world’s most reviled invertebrate ‘bugs’

Cited by 9 publications

References 161 publications

Flea (Insecta: Siphonaptera) Family Diversity

Flea (Insecta: Siphonaptera) Family Diversity

Does aversion to insects affect insecticide use? An elusive answer calls for improved methods in biophobia research

The impact of city animal and plant raising on people’s level of disgust towards ants and yellow jackets

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