I wouldn't say I was terrified of spiders, but out of all the insects they are right at the bottom of the popularity list, and if I see one I feel a strong urge to reach for the nearest glass and pizza menu to scoop him up and chuck him back outside. Most people I know hate them too, but why?! They are harmless, a fly for example is far more discusting and annoying but I dont see anyone running out of a room screaming when one of them appears.
Was the world once like starship troopers with giant spider like creatures destroying the planet, and so it has been wired into our brains to fear them?