'I'd burn the house down if I saw this': The creepy creature terrorising Australia - but can you guess what it is?

  • Footage of a creepy insect with hairy tentacles has gone viral on social media
  • The creature was identified as a species of moth found in Australia and Asia
  • One horrified social media user declared: 'I'd burn the house down if I saw this' 

By Daniel Peters For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Footage of a mysterious moth-like insect flexing its pulsating tentacles has whipped the internet into a frenzy.

The creature, which is found across Asia and Australia, appears to have the body of a moth with four tufted tendrils sprouting out of its abdomen.

Many social media users were left terrified after seeing the other-worldly insect, with one person declaring: 'I'd burn the house down if I saw this.'

Spooky: Footage of a creepy insect with tentacle-like scent organs has set the internet alight

Spooky: Footage of a creepy insect with tentacle-like scent organs has set the internet alight

 The bizarre insect has since been revealed to be a moth found in parts of northern Australia

 The bizarre insect has since been revealed to be a moth found in parts of northern Australia

The insect has since been revealed to be a Creatonotos gangis moth. 

The moth's unusual tentacles are in fact scent organs, used to produce pheromones in a bid to attract mates.

Footage of the strange insect, filmed in Indonesia and uploaded to Facebook by a user named Gandik, racked up millions of views and thousands of shares.

'Give him the keys and tell him the house is yours,' joked one shocked viewer. 

'What devilish creature sent to destroy us is this? I'm leaving Earth by the way... anyone coming?' added another.

The moths are found across Australia's north, including Western Australia, the Northern Territory and parts of Queensland stretching as far south as Mackay.

The moth's unusual tentacles are in fact scent organs which secrete pheromones in a bid to attract mates

The moth's unusual tentacles are in fact scent organs which secrete pheromones in a bid to attract mates

The moths are found across Australia's north, including Western Australia, the Northern Territory and parts of Queensland

The moths are found across Australia's north, including Western Australia, the Northern Territory and parts of Queensland

 

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