A mysterious insect that went viral on TikTok and was dubbed a “creature from hell” has reportedly been identified.
The insect was first seen in a TikTok video and shows a blue-greyish creature which appears to be "half stick insect and half scorpion". It also appears to have wings and a tail.
The video that has since gone viral showed the 'creature' moving its body in a way that was deemed 'aggressive' by users.
As per the video, the insect was spotted in Laverton, Western Australia.
Since it was uploaded, the video has garnered over 10 million views and 20,000 comments with many people stating that they are now “terrified” to come to Australia.
The insect has since been identified, as per a News.com.au report.
Speaking to the publication, Perth-based entomologist and curator of Entomology at the Western Australian Museum, Nikolai Tatarnic, identified the creature as "a walking stick insect in the family Phasmatidae”.
"We think the insect in the clip is the genus Paronchestus, probably P cornutus, as it closely resembles a specimen in our collection, which was collected from Laverton," he said.
“While most people are aware of their camouflage (ie, looking like a stick), some species also engage in threat or startle displays (also called ‘deimatic behaviour’) to ward off potential predators," he added.
Phasmids are found all across Australia, but because of their amazing camouflage, they mostly go unseen, the expert added.
Published 13 July 2023, 14:27 IST