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?

Just to echo what many others have said please don't poke it or harm it! It could well be a rare moth and these creatures are really beautiful. If its metamorphosing inside you could stress/kill it by poking at it. If you're really worried about what it is, yes call a moth or butterfly house (London Zoo will be able to advise you, I bet). But otherwise just leave it. It will pupate for about a week and then it will be gone. We share this world with many other creatures and we need to make space for them sometimes to give them a chance.

www.mushroomdiary.co.uk/2010/06/cramp-balls/

Fuck me face on I wouldn't be touching that!

DON'T POKE IT

A couple of days ago DH noticed a "lump of moss" dangling from one of our garden chairs (ping pong ball sized, yellow-green). He pulled it off the chair...........

THOUSANDS of tiny yellow green spidery things erupted from the "moss ball" and ran all over his hand.

He did 16 years in the Army and has seen some shit - I've never seen him scream and vomit simultaneously..........[shocked]

Never seen anything like them - inter dimensional beings we reckon

She said
There's something in the wood shed
And I can hear it breathing
It's such an eerie feeling
Darling

How do we tell if it's a King Alfred's cakes fungus or an endangered hawk moth chrysalis?

HOLY CRAP

Where in the Midlands? Not East, please say not East.

BMW6, are you in the UK? Please say no.

Aiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeee!!!!

^^

^^

So this thread seems pretty evenly divided between 'hawk moth cocoon' and 'fungus'; am dying to know what it is but yes OP, please don't cut it open just in case it is something living. And anyway, who knows what might come out if you did cut it open .... DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNN ......

Get yourself to the shops for emergency rations then barricade yourself in for the duration. Don't forget to plug any small holes Will a ring of antpowder/arsenic around the house, ward off anything?

I am torn between nuking the Midlands (for the greater good) and really wanting to see what comes out.

Although this is probably like those scenes in the movies where you're yelling at the screen "don't touch it! Burn it! Run! Oh you touched it! Mankind is doomed."

Hold on, if its a moth chyrsalis, it will move if you warm it in your hand.

Come on OP, lots of Midlanders are on edge here waiting to heat where exactly you are! CountryMummy must mean rural, yes? Hopefully a big forest in Shropshire or something. (Gibbers quietly)

Anywhere but Lincolnshire

Weird type of fungus?

YY to leave the ugly bugger alone, and let it get on with metamorphosing.

BMW6

plug any small holes

Whatever's living in there ain't getting in through no small holes let me tell you

Shameless place marking and hoping for baby unicorns

TooExtraImmatureCheddar

Sorry - I am in uk - Southampton if you need to move sharpish .....

Don't poke it! Tweet those bug people someone linked to.

You need a webcam on this.

Brilliant idea echt about web cam it would go viral

Yes a Web Cam! so we can watch at a safe distance when it sporns, and the Midlands then get blasted of the face of the earth

Burn the outhouse down and never return

Where's op gone? Has 'it' got her?

[waves] I am still alive. I've had to trek half way across the country (well, to Birmingham) for a hospital appointment for my daughter so no chance of further investigations this morning. However, it will be my first job when I get home. Will try to get some more close up pics.