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?

Aliens.

Hmm, a mumsnetter has tweeted them - Nat History ppl think slime mould?

Worra i hope its yours! Those are beautiful!

Drlego i am having nightmares. I hate spiders.
Now my bf is having nightmares as i sent him the link

Good point moreis!!!!!!!!!! .......

Run. For. Your. Life.

This has to go in classics!

Aww - these are moth pupae. I'd be really excited to see what emerges - hopefully something really pretty but could just be brown. They emerge in spring and then go off to do their own thing.

I have lived in an area chock full of mountain lions, bears, rattle snakes, spiders that could actually kill you.. but the thought of now living in a country with THAT in it..

I wanna go home.

Slime mould is soft and squidgy though.

These things have armour plating

I agree with the people saying we ought to nuke the Midlands.

...hang on, I've just noticed the picture of the scary thing.

Huh, how can mould just appear overnight? Surely its more of a gradual build up.... Are you sure its just appeared overnight OP.

OP, I think it's time to chop off your hand.

I'm weeping .......as I call removals.

That's what I thought! I've never seen slime mould with that sort of structure before (but then as stated, my knowledge is largely Oz-based)

I'd give it a few weeks then set to it with dissecting tools

If this isn't solved by teatime I might ask my neighbour who is a bit of moth expert, he collects them not at all weird. He will know I am sure. Shameless place marking

The smaller 2 appeared last night. Definitely weren't there last night as I checked carefully

I have just tapped it. It is absolutely rock hard. Can I put video on here?

It is big, I'll give it that. Big, ugly ole thing.

Not video I don't think. Do you have a YouTube account?

You have five now?

I live in Australia. I have a friend who lives nearby who found a sac of redback spider eggs (one of the real nasties). Her solution? Create a flamethrower with her cigarette lighter and burn the fuck out of them.

Might be an idea? although you might need actual napalm on yours

am sure the last person I heard of collecting moths was a serial killer

That thing scares the shit out of me!

ThumbWitchesAbroad I know plenty of people back home in Vic who have done that to red backs with deoderant cans...

It can't be an animal, nothing in this country is that big