Hundreds of species of spider make BC home and they never fail to frighten some people while fascinating others with their startling appearances and behaviours.

This summer, nature lovers and homeowners in Kamloops and the Okanagan are finding countless fascinating species from the tiny jumping spiders to the giant house spiders.

Kamloops resident Jamie Pearce recently found a wolf spider carrying innumerable babies on its back and snapped a photo of surprising sight.

“It was walking across my living room floor and I couldn’t really tell what it was as it had it’s abdomen up really high and walking strangely,” he said. “I noticed it also had some web on its leg dragging a few babies with it. It was awesome, I wish I’d got a better photo but it was moving too fast.”

iN PHOTOS: Arachnophobia inducing spiders in Kamloops, Okanagan | iNFOnews.ca — A wolf spider carries an egg sac at a creek in Kamloops.
SUBMITTED / Jamie Pearce

While many people like Pearce love spiders, others are afraid of them. Arachnophobia is one of the most widespread phobias and can cause significant distress for some, according to Scientific Origin.

There are many theories behind the fear of spiders. One suggests humans developed the fear as a survival tactic, where those who quickly reacted to venomous spiders were more likely to survive and pass on their genes. Another suggests the sudden movements of spiders and their legs contrasted against a background amplify a sensory response.

Arachnophobia can be a learned response by children who see family members reacting to spiders with fear or see media portraying spiders as dangerous. Of course, those who are bitten by spiders can become fearful of them.

This collection of summer spider sightings includes the bulky cat-face spider, a wolf spider carrying a sac of spiderlings and a stocky trapdoor spider.

Do spiders give you the heebie-jeebies? Let us know at news@infonews.ca.