What hysteric behavior is popularly believed to result from the bite of the wolf spider Lycosa tarantula?

What hysteric behavior is popularly believed to result from the bite of the wolf spider Lycosa tarantula?

• A. Tarantism
• B. Hysteria
• C. Delirium
• D. Mania

Answer: (A)

Tarantism is the behavior historically attributed to the bite of the wolf spider Lycosa tarantula. In parts of southern Italy, people long believed that a bite from this spider could trigger a hysterical condition marked by frenzied, compulsive dancing and agitation. The conventional remedy was vigorous, rhythmic dancing—most famously the tarantella—often with music and communal participation, thought to drive out the venom and restore health. This is a culturally specific diagnosis tied to a historical belief, not a general psychiatric state. The other terms describe broader mental states (hysteria in a generic sense, delirium, mania) and don’t capture the particular folkloric idea that a spider bite produced a distinct dance-driven illness.

Tarantism is the behavior historically attributed to the bite of the wolf spider Lycosa tarantula. In parts of southern Italy, people long believed that a bite from this spider could trigger a hysterical condition marked by frenzied, compulsive dancing and agitation. The conventional remedy was vigorous, rhythmic dancing—most famously the tarantella—often with music and communal participation, thought to drive out the venom and restore health. This is a culturally specific diagnosis tied to a historical belief, not a general psychiatric state. The other terms describe broader mental states (hysteria in a generic sense, delirium, mania) and don’t capture the particular folkloric idea that a spider bite produced a distinct dance-driven illness.