The Venezuelan Poodle Moth first became a thing back in 2009, when photos of a pudgy, white and cuddly-looking winged critter began circulating the web. According to Snopes.com, the most commonly-shared image (shown below) was not only a fake moth made of felt, but a model of a completely different species – most likely the Chinese silkworm moth.
Despite all the confusion, the Venezuelan Poodle Moth is not a mythical creation, but a real creature... and it's not quite as huggable as the replica shown above. In fact, it looks very much like a furry white minion of hell.
Photo © Dr. Arthur Anker
The moth was discovered by Dr. Arthur Anker, who photographed it during a visit to Venezuela's Gran Sabana National Park. He documented his findings in this Flickr gallery.