The insect cuteness index

I read something online a while back, not sure where, that was basically talking about how humans treat ladybirds far better than most insects, such as flies. Whilst I'm not sure ladybirds are resistant to sprays based off looks alone, I feel like there probably is some kind of insect cuteness index, where the cuter the critter, the more loved.

 Ladybird. Attribution: Stephan Sprinz, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Turns out, I'm not the only person to ever wonder this. Apparently, there's even a whole field of science called biology, where this kind of question can get you a paper published in a journal. This paper discusses human attitudes towards insects; their research involved surveying people on various aspects of insects, whether that be their ecological impact, or if they brought about fear. 

The paper is actually quite interesting - turns out, women prefer killing dangerous insects, like wasps, compared to men, to a statistically significant extent. In general, though, people seem to get that whilst insects are important for the environment, that doesn't mean they're a big fan of them.

I'm more in the middle, to be honest. I'll admit to being scared by loads of insects. As soon as I hear or see a bee, I get a bit panicky - it's even worse when it's a wasp. Flies irritate me loads, sometimes they won't even notice the window is open and they just hang around for ages. 

European hornet. Attribution: PiccoloNamek, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons

Probably the insect I have the biggest fear of is mosquitos, mainly because they're quite good at sucking blood when you least expect it. I've been on holiday to various warm countries along the Tropics, and inevitably, I've always ended up bitten by a mosquito. They can also carry diseases, so I really don't blame people for hating them. 

On the other hand, there are loads of insects I adore. Ladybirds are lovely, maybe because of their spotty exoskeleton more than anything. It's also really charming when one randomly flies onto your arm, and then it just walks around for a bit. Then again, humans throughout history are also massive fans of ladybirds; in Christianity, they're often seen as the gatekeepers to heaven! 

I think this is a moth

I'm also a huge fan of moths. There's something almost sweet about them, how they fly right to a light source and then just chill there for what feels like hours. It's almost romantic, in a way. They can also be extremely colourful, though I'm far more used to seeing grey moths around the house at night. Yet moths get a really bad rap from many people. Part of that is probably because some moths like to chew through fibres, and suddenly all your clothes and furniture are destroyed. 

But I also wonder whether some view moths as discount butterflies, which are far more beloved by people. Butterflies might be the cutest insects out there: they have pretty colours, they fly so freely, it's hard not to love them. Hell, I even have loads of photos of butterflies, unlike any other insect. I've been to two butterfly exhibitions, which is more than I can say for moths, let alone any insect.

Butterfly at Hall Place in south London

The paper I mentioned earlier even gives a cuteness index of sorts - humans tend to love butterflies the most, and mosquitos and cockroaches the least. I can't say I'm surprised by either of those. But I'm sure we can fill in some of those gaps:

• Butterflies and ladybirds are probably at the top, right? I doubt anyone would disagree with that. Oh and praying mantises, people seem to love them too.
• Then there's a large drop off when it comes to cuteness. I'm sure moths and bees will be here, but significantly less than butterflies.
• I imagine bees get a good rep from honey, as well as people realising just how important bees are to the environment. But I reckon loads of people are still scared of bees. 
• There's an even larger drop off once we get to ants and crickets, though at this point I feel like people start to become indifferent towards insects.
• Then we'll have loads of different species of fly. Fireflies are beloved, adding an air of beauty whenever night kicks in, but most flies don't get as much love. Houseflies don't even live long enough for people to care that much about them.
• Wasps and hornets come in around here, because no one wants to be stung by one of them. Agitate a hornet's nest, welcome to the hospital.
• Then we get cockroaches and mosquitos, as the study said, and to be fair, I agree with this. One symbolises decay, the other pure irritation. They're far from cute.

Also worth noting, if you're wondering where they come in, that spiders and centipedes aren't actually insects. I only just learnt this, and I'm surprised it took me this long to even realise that. Insects need antennae to be considered insects, which spiders don't have. Though if I had to put spiders somewhere in my index, they'd probably sit alongside wasps. I personally like spiders, unlike most of my family - they make pretty cobwebs. Yes, I'm weird.