Morphological resemblance to injections elicits fear, disgust, and reduced conservation intent toward insects

Insects are among the least preferred animals on this planet. Despite their crucial role in ecosystem functioning, understanding the reasons for negative public attitudes is essential for improving support for their conservation. We investigated whether morphological structures superficially resembling stingers (e.g., harmless ovipositors) influence Slovak students' fear of being stung, willingness to protect (WTP) insects, perceived attractiveness, and feelings of disgust. Students (N = 654, 412 female, age range: 10-19 years) reported almost the same level of fear toward insects with sting-like structures as toward stinging insects (honeybees and wasps). Fear of being stung and disgust negatively predicted WTP, whereas attractiveness had a positive effect. Fear of being stung appears to be deeply rooted in human psychology, as it is correlated with the fear of injections. Mediation analysis further revealed that fear of injections indirectly reduced WTP by decreasing attractiveness and increasing disgust. Females show greater WTP than males. Overall, our results suggest that fear of being stung, elicited by insect morphology, is a significant psychological factor that should be considered when designing conservation strategies.