Cure your arachnophobia and learn to love Macarthur region spiders, with new CSIRO book

SPIDERS may leave some people feeling shaky and squeamish, but there are plenty of reasons to face your fear and learn to love the arachnids, researcher Robert Whyte says.

SPIDERS may leave some people feeling shaky and squeamish, but there are plenty of reasons to face your fear and learn to love the arachnids of the Macarthur region, researcher Robert Whyte says.

The honorary researcher of arachnology at Queensland Museum has collaborated with the CSIRO to release a new book, and believes his work can cure arachnophobia.

Common spiders Campbelltown and Macarthur region residents can learn to love include house spiders such as daddy long legs, orb weavers, jumping spiders and crab spiders.

An elephant faced peacock spider, featured in Robert Whyte’s new book for the CSIRO. Picture: Jürgen Otto

“It can take as little as five minutes to cure arachnophobia,” Mr Whyte said.

“For years now we have been curing arachnophobia with the harmless golden orb weaver, which doesn’t even have a defensive bite.

“A fear of spiders is not innate or natural, it’s something you learn from about the age of two.

“Spiders aren’t designed to attack humans or even scare humans, they control the insect population and play a really important part in the balance of nature.”

An alien butt spider, featured in the new book by Robert Whyte and published by the CSIRO. Picture: Robert Whyte

Mr Whyte said the key to overcoming arachnophobia was getting up close and personal with the eight legged critters, and learning more about them.

“What’s really caused spiders to rise in popularity is macro photography, which lets people see them in a way they probably haven’t before,” he said.

“Some of them are extraordinarily beautiful and don’t look at all like spiders.

“It’s really important that people know most spiders around their home are harmless, and do such a good job of keeping your house clear of cockroaches, flies, mosquitos and other insects.

“The more you know about them the more calm you will be around them.”

Arachnid researcher and author Robert Whyte. Picture: Mark Crocker

Mr Whyte co-authored the new book A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia with Greg Anderson, which debunks a number of spider related myths, and includes more than 1300 stunning colour photographs covering 836 species.

He said arachnophobia could also prove dangerous; no one has been killed by a spider in Australia for more than 30 years, but plenty of people have been seriously injured while panicking at the sight of one.