The only "irrational fear" I have that I know of is of wasps, but your example is exactly how I came to appreciating wasps, cabbage moth caterpillars and all lol

We don't see too many paper wasps where I am, so I had to accept that the yellow jackets in my garden cared more about the caterpillars than me and I thankfully hadn't gotten stung or chased the whole time I had that garden. I had to move and now the real pest I have to fight are deer, scumbag deer... Destroy your garden and your car, some even in the same day lol