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A homeowner was left baffled by a strange creature that appeared in her backyard, but Australians were quick to label it “the cutest thing ever seen” when pictures were posted on social media.
The woman saw the brown slug-like insect curled up against a hedge in the garden of her home in Sydney’s inner west.
The strange creature, shaped like a tiny caterpillar, had pink and black eyes that made it look like a cartoon character.
the homeowner I took several photos of the insect and uploaded them to Facebook in an attempt to find answers.
‘Does anyone know what this strange little creature is?’ the woman asked.
A homeowner was left baffled after finding a strange creature (picture) that looked like a cartoon character in her backyard.
Several users commented on the post while trying to guess what the creature could be.
“Some kind of hawkmoth caterpillar,” said one user.
Others thought it was a fake object that the homeowner had hastily put together.
“I seriously thought you put googly eyes on a strangely shaped stocking,” another user wrote.
Some who didn’t know what the insect was chimed in saying it looked adorable.
“That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Andrew Mitchell, an entomologist at the Australian Museum, said the creature is the larval form of the pale brown hawkmoth and has the botanical name Theretra latreillii.
“It is most commonly found on vines, including vines, and is quite common, especially this time of year,” he said. yahoo.
The insect is a pale brown Hawkmoth (pictured) often found on vines and branches.
“This species has a fairly wide distribution, from the Kimberley region (in Western Australia) east along the coastal strip to Cape York (in far northern Queensland) and then south to Sydney.”
The insect’s body has a distinctive brown color that allows it to disguise itself from predators.
The insect also uses its strangely shaped eyes to protect itself from prey.
Their colorful feature is designed to scare away predators, Mitchell said.
“When they feel threatened, they puff up the front of their body, raise it into the air, suck on the head a little, and can look quite convincingly like a snake when viewed from the front,” he said.
Pale brown hawkmoths come in two colors: green and brown, and adults grow up to 70 mm long.
Caterpillars are often found in suburban gardens and do not bite or sting, but may release a green liquid if disturbed.