What the bloody hell is this creature in my outhouse?? [pic]

[CountryMummy1]

Just been outside the feed the cat who has his food in the outhouse. There, hanging from the old pipework are 3 absolutely huge cocoons. They are hideous! Black and more than 4 inches long. They weren't there yesterday. What the hell is going to come out? AIBU to be very worried?

What a weird thing. It doesn't look like a moth pupa, the 'ribbing' is too uneven and extends the full length of the... thing, when it should only go part-way down. Four inches is too big for any UK moth species anyway: pupae of privet hawkmoth, one of our largest moth species. Also 'naked' moth pupae, ie without a silky cocoon around them, are usually buried in soil.

And people refuse to visit Australia because of our sharks and big spiders! You guys have massive black death fungus with dangerous spores. Or, alternatively, monster moths! I know what I'd prefer out of a large moth and a large spider definitely the moth

Shamelessly marking place as I'm desperate to know what this is!

Place marking also!!

tbh, it just looks like a giant turn to me.

turd*

I'm going to tweet this at the Natural History Museum. They sometimes identify stuff.

Seriously what the actual fudge is that?? I keep on looking at the original pic and getting freaked out. I'm from SA and we don't have shit like that!!

that wants hosing down with a kettle FULL of boiling water and a generous squoosh of bleach.

and pretty moths...pah! ...they are all fecking spiders in disguise, little bastards.....all of them, butterflies, moths, spiders....all waiting to rise up and do us in

No one needs that many legs, unless they are up to no good.

Oh, I so want it to be a moth, but I'm afraid it does look more like a fungus to me too.

CaTsMaMmA Butterflies are the worst. Dishonest bastards.

Watching with horror interest

Ooh yes ask the natural history museum. My bet is Daldinia concentrica.

Do I get a prize if I'm right?

Right, I used to breed moths some years ago when I worked in a lab in Australia. Firstly, please don't poke/cut it! Secondly, if you're worried about the fungus (& Lepidoptera pupae are rather prone to it), you could spray it with a very weak bleach solution. Otherwise probably best to leave it alone. I'm not sure what the species is, or how long the pupal stage will last, but I'd leave it for at least 2 weeks.

That said, the fungus does look pretty bad, so there may be no resultant live moth anyway!

If anyone wants to tweet it somewhere feel free as I'm not on Twitter

Ok I'm back and been to have a look. Another 2 have appeared but smaller I have touched it gingerly and it feels extremely hard. I've taken another close up and one with my hand in shot for perspective. Will try to attach now

How exciting.

There are more!!!!

Yikes! (mature)

Surely the wrong time of year for hawk moths to pupate? Don't they munch away all summer and then pupate in the autumn, coming out next year?

Yes, yes please someone twitter/facebook to natural history-type places (I don't do either), I neeeed to know what it is!

What's with the butterfly dislike? I don't mind them but moths bleutgh. They flap too much.

Marks place with an early nomination for classics.