Formicophilia is intense sexual arousal or pleasure from small creatures such as insects crawling and nibbling on the body. Formicophiles may gain pleasure from having small creatures on their own body or watching these creatures crawl over other people. It is a form of a type of zoophilia.
History of Formicophilia
Psychologists Ratnin Dewaraja and John Money were among the first people to use the term formicophilia when they published their paper “Transcultural sexology: formicophilia, a newly named paraphilia in a young Buddhist male” in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy in 1986. This paper defined formicophilia as a fetish focused on “snails, frogs, ants, or other insects creeping, crawling or nibbling on the body, especially the genitalia, perianal area or nipples”. It noted that formicophilia was rare but cited the example of a young Buddhist monk who used these creatures for sexual gratification. The researchers claimed this fetish grew independently of other sexual influences, including pornography.
In a 1987 follow-up paper, “Formicophilia, an Unusual Paraphilia, Treated with Counseling and Behavior Therapy”, Dewaraja explained that a 12-week counseling and behavioural therapy program aimed to help the monk improve his self-image and eliminate feelings of guilt and shame, rather than the philia itself. The program achieved its goals while reducing dependency on the philia.
While Dewaraja and Money defined formicophilia to include arousal from small insects, molluscs, and amphibians, it has more commonly come to mean arousal from small insects. As formicophilia directly translates to ant love, some people argue it should only describe arousal from these insects. While it’s not used as commonly, some people prefer the term entomophilia to describe arousal from insects.
Is Formicophilia Dangerous or Illegal?
In most cases, formicophilia isn’t dangerous, but there can be some safety concerns around using small creatures for sexual gratification. Insect bites can cause pain, itching, swelling, and skin irritation. Some people with allergies may experience anaphylaxis, which can be fatal. Some insects, such as mosquitoes, can also spread disease.
The risk of bites and other complications increases when inserting these creatures into the anus or vagina. Creatures who live in the soil can spread pathogenic bacteria. If they die inside the body, their remains can also impact the body’s natural pH levels and cause irritation and infections.
Formicophilia itself isn’t illegal, but it may be illegal in some states if it results in an animal’s death. While some states like Alaska and New Mexico exclude insects and non-invertebrates from animal cruelty laws, other states like New Jersey and Minnesota are more inclusive. In these states, formicophiles may face a fine or even jail time if they intentionally harm any animals. However, it’s debatable whether the activities of formicophiles intentionally harm animals, even if they result in an animal’s death. Animal cruelty cases involving insects are also rarely reported, according to Treehugger, which suggests authorities are unlikely to press charges.
