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A moth that look like it crawled out of a shadowy Hades is freaking out Facebook users , include some who are wondering whether the creature in the post is even real .
First , the unsound news : It ’s real . The moth is calledCreatonotos gangis , and it lives in parts of Southeast Asia and Australia .
MaleCreatonotos gangismoths have hairy scent organs that release pheromones during courtship.
Now , the good word : The moth in the video recording is in all probability looking for dearest . ( We admit , this may be good tidings only for bug-hunter and other insect - lovers . ) [ 7 thing You Do n’t Know About Moths , But Should ]
On Oct. 19 , Facebook userGandik , from Semarang , Indonesia , post a photo and picture of the weird louse with the caption ( translated from Javanese ) , " If you do not have a butterfly , please . " In the video , the moth is rhythmically waving flakey , hairy appendages that see like a large , gray " X. "
These appendage are actually called coremata — organs at the end of a manlike moth ’s abdomen that can be evert ( that is , turned inwardly out ) to expose tuft of hair , according to Coffs Harbour Butterfly House , in Australia . When they ’re blow up , as they are in the video , these hairy organs release smelly pheromones in an attempt to court dame moth .
But while femaleC. gangismoths may observe this scent irresistible , they are likely in the nonage . Most farmers ca n’t put up the coinage because their Caterpillar are known to eat crops , including soy , rice and Indian corn , according to Coffs Harbour Butterfly House .
Once theC. gangiscaterpillars — dark-brown and hirsute creatures that have a yellowish stripe down their backs — metamorphose into moths , they develop browned forewing and white hindwings . The abdominal cavity is usually red , but in some cases , it ’s jaundiced , accord to the butterfly theatre . Their full wingspread is about 1.5 inches ( 4 centimeters ) .
C. gangisfemales lay rotund , yellow eggs , often on leaves in clustering of 50 , so if you do n’t want any in your neck of the woods , be on the lookout for these little guys . But if you have a soft spot for these arthropods , you could watch them originate up and brandish their coremata , just like nature intended .
Original clause onLive Science .
