If you've spent any time on social media lately, you might have come across a startling image: a large, fuzzy moth with eerie, eye-like spots, seemingly clinging flat to a wall like a sticker. The posts introduce it as the "Kamitetep moth" (sometimes Tetrablemma kamitetep), hailing from the remote "Shaw Forest" or "Shaw Jungle," and warn of its painful sting. It’s a perfectly crafted piece of internet weirdness—creepy, plausible, and highly shareable.
But before you double-check your walls, let’s unravel the truth. This is a fascinating case of how folklore spreads in the digital age.
The Verdict: It's a Masterful Hoax
The "Kamitetep moth" is not real. It does not exist in any entomological record. The image is a highly realistic digital creation—a piece of speculative biology art.
Here’s how we know:
