Video and pictures of a bizarre looking insect have been shared over 77k times on Facebook this week.
The mysterious looking creature has fury tendrils protruding from its abdomen and is intriguing some and frightening others.
The Facebook post originated by a user in Indonesia but quickly spread around the world leading to a wide range of reactions.
Video of the moth in action shows it thrusting its disproportionate looking appendages.
So what is it?
It’s a Creatonotos Gangis moth. It’s lives in Southeast Asia and Australia. They’re infamous for being a nuisance to pomegranate trees.
The dangly tendrils are its scent organs, technically known as coremata. The coremata are used to attract mates. The coremata can be inflated like a ballon and used to expel pheromones. Some other moth and butterfly species have them as well. WIRED wrote a detailed article about coremata back in 2013.
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