As if from some cartoon. Australian woman finds a strange creature with pink and black eyes in her yard: photo shocks everyone
A Sydney resident was puzzled when she saw a mysterious creature in the yard of her house. The woman posted a photo online, trying to find out what kind of insect it was.
However, users first called it "the cutest thing in the world" because of its unusual appearance. This was reported by the Daily Mail.
Australian woman was surprised to see the creature
Source: Daily Mail
An Australian woman spotted a brown, slug-like insect curled up near a hedge in her garden. The strange creature, shaped like a tiny caterpillar, had pink and black eyes that resembled cartoon characters.
The creature resembled characters from cartoons
Source: Daily Mail
She took some photos of the insect and uploaded them to Facebook, trying to find an answer. "Does anyone know what this strange little creature is?" she asked.
Several users commented on the post, trying to guess what kind of creature it was. Some of them thought it was a fake. "I seriously thought it was a strangely shaped stocking," one commenter wrote. Others could not contain their emotions: "This is the cutest thing I've ever seen."
It turned out to be Theretra latreillii
Source: Jerry Coleby-Williams
Andrew Mitchell, an entomologist at the Australian Museum, said the creature is the larval form of the pale brown hawk moth and has the botanical name Theretra latreillii. "The insect is most commonly found on grape vines and they are quite common, especially at this time of year," he said.
These insects are brown and green in color
Source: butterfliesdorrigo.weebly.com
The body of the insect has a distinct brown or green color, which allows the creature to camouflage itself from predators. The strangely shaped eyes are also used to protect themselves.
The creature's eyes are used to scare predators
Source: butterfliesdorrigo.weebly.com
"In case of threat, they inflate the front part of their body, lift it into the air, twist their head a little and can look quite convincing, like a snake, if viewed from the front," the expert explained. The caterpillars are often found in suburban gardens, they do not bite or sting, but can secrete a green liquid if disturbed.
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