The Bizzarre yet awesome Venezuelan Poodle Moth - Facts behind the hype

This cute alien like looking critter has been doing the round on various boards for ages. Loads of people presume it's photoshopped due to it's pokemon type look But I can assure you it's just as a real as it's close relative the Muslin Moth.

Here's the original photo of the lil critter, captured by a zoologist in 2009 whilst trekking specifically to capture pictures of new species:



This is his entire photoalbum: www.flickr.com...

The story below explains:

www.redorbit.com...

Most moths can be easily identified when you look at them, however some have dazzling features that could make even the most well-trained eye do a double take. Then there is the Venezuelan Poodle Moth — a bizarre-looking creature covered with white fluffy hair, large black eyes and funky antennae protruding from the head.

When images of the newest discovery made it online a week ago, many cried foul, accusing that the image was doctored using Photoshop or some other image editing software. But lo and behold, the image is in fact real.

The image, taken by Dr. Arthur Anker from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, is just one of 75 photos taken from Gran Sabana National Park in Venezuela and appears in a collection on the scientists Flickr page. The photo was investigated by Dr. Karl Shuker, a zoologist, science writer, and cryptozoologist.

Among the photos, Shuker highlighted some of the most bedazzling finds on his blog, ShukerNature.

He said: “These photographs formed just one set of numerous spectacular images that Art has taken while visiting tropical rainforests and other exotic locations worldwide, and which he has placed in photosets on the Flickr website.”

The image of the Venezuelan Poodle Moth first surfaced in 2009 on Anker’s Flickr account. But there it remained, not getting any public attention until someone, who likened it to a Pokemon character, posted the image online, where it then took off like a rocket.

A colleague of Dr. Shuker investigated the moth and found it to be very similar in appearance to another documented species. Called the Muslin Moth (Diaphora mendica), this insect of the lepidopteran family Arctiidae resembles Anker’s moth very closely. However, unlike Anker’s moth, which was found in Venezuela, the Muslin moth is found in the Northern Hemisphere in the Russian Palearctic. And despite being eerily similar in appearance to the Poodle Moth, D. mendica is noticeably less fluffy.

Further investigation has yielded little findings. However, based on the fact that there are over 6000 Neotropical species within the Arctiidae moth family, it is very plausible that the Poodle Moth could be a close relation to the Muslin Moth.

Here are pictures of the much better know muslin moth, which does look extremely similar:





I don't think it's fake. But I also believe in pokemon, so what do I know?

Thoughts?

Originally posted by ZeuZZ


I don't think it's fake. But I also believe in pokemon, so what do I know?

Thoughts?

If the purpose of the masquerade is scaring predators, then it succeeds on unexpected levels.

It looks so mean I wouldn't dare touching it without knowing what it is. It looks like it will jump into your face and suck the life or brains out of you.

But at the end of the day, it's just a moth with fur and Alien eyes. Wicked lil thing.

It's just beautiful! I want one!
Wow, thanks so much for sharing this with us!!!!

reply to post by ZeuZZ


S&F

I love these kind of threads.

That little guy is SO adorable...I really want to take his picture!!

Fortunately, I don't have to go very far to find some other cute little guys. I don't think most people realize how neat most moths are close-up. Hope you don't mind, but I thought you might enjoy seeing some photos I took right in my own yard!!

So I found these near my home right here in Washington State....so you do NOT have to travel out of the country to experience this!

This is a common giant moth. I thought his face looked like a little fox!



I measured his wing span at just over 6 inches!!! ( I have seen bigger though when camping)



This is a tiger moth (smaller, but still quite cute)


(yes...that is my toe.)

I don't have any idea what type of moth this one is, but I found him one night on my window!


Maybe not quite as cute as the others, but I liked his colors.

Nature is amazing!!

Just pissed about in photoshop

Originally posted by westcoast
reply to post by ZeuZZ

 

S&F

I love these kind of threads.

That little guy is SO adorable...I really want to take his picture!!

Fortunately, I don't have to go very far to find some other cute little guys. I don't think most people realize how neat most moths are close-up. Hope you don't mind, but I thought you might enjoy seeing some photos I took right in my own yard!!

So I found these near my home right here in Washington State....so you do NOT have to travel out of the country to experience this!

This is a common giant moth. I thought his face looked like a little fox!

I measured his wing span at just over 6 inches!!! ( I have seen bigger though when camping)

This is a tiger moth (smaller, but still quite cute)

(yes...that is my toe.)

I don't have any idea what type of moth this one is, but I found him one night on my window!

Maybe not quite as cute as the others, but I liked his colors.

Nature is amazing!!

edit on 6-5-2013 by westcoast because: (no reason given)

They're all gorgeous I'll grab some more from my macrophotography album







Cute lil critterts

I've said it before and I'll say it again NATURE IS AWESOME!!

Thats one hell of a moth. First time i ever seen one. Amazing!!!....Thanks for posting that

It should be renamed the Zsa Zsa Gábor moth. I like that better.