23 February 2024 , 18:18
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A woman was left baffled by a bizarre creature with cartoonish eyes which suddenly turned up in her garden.
The homeowner found the cylindrical creature in a hedge and was confused as to what it was. To help aid her investigation she posted a picture on Facebook - but many people on the social media page were also confused as to what it might be - although several put forward their own ideas.
The woman, from Sydney, Australia, wrote: “Does anyone know what this strange little creature is?” One person replied, according to Yahoo: "I seriously thought you stuck googly eyes on a weirdly shaped stocking. That is the cutest thing I have ever seen.”
Experts later claimed the odd creature was a harkmoth caterpillar, which are found this time of the year Down Under.
Several people gave ideas as to what it is (Facebook)Dr Darrell Kemp from Macquarie University told Yahoo : "This specimen is interesting in the sense that most of the body is almost certainly cryptically coloured. In other words, it's camouflaged. It's a defence tactic organisms use to disguise their appearance, usually to blend in with their surroundings so we rarely see them.”
Missing radioactive capsule found after huge search - and it's the size of a pea
Earlier this week it was reported a creepy new jellyfish species with an unusual red cross has been discovered by scientists which is so rare it's only ever been seen twice. Experts say it is 10cm in diameter with a red belly, similar to the Cross of St George when spotted above.
Called the Santjordia pagesi, it is a new species of medusa, which are an umbrella-shaped jellyfish species with a reduced stalk. It was first highlighted in the journal where it was studied by an international group of researchers. André Morandini, a professor of zoology at the University of São Paulo’s Institute of Biosciences (IB-USP) and Director of the Center for Marine Biology (CEBIMar) was among a team of researchers from Japan who studied the creature.
Professor Morandini published the description and drew attention to the species at the site, which are rich in minerals and have the potential to be commercially developed. Researcher teams also believe the jellyfish may have venom unlike any discovered to date. Professor Morandi added: “Who knows? Maybe it holds secrets more valuable than all the mineral wealth that could be extracted from that place. All this with the advantage of keeping the species and the site intact.”