Giant Caterpillar on Pillow Terrifies the Internet: ‘Burn the House’

Getting your head down for a great night’s sleep is one of life’s joys. But one internet user shared how their bedtime routine was interrupted by an unwanted visitor this week in a post on Reddit that’s gone viral.

Redditor u/rometickles shared a picture of their new friend on Reddit’s popular r/mildlyinfuriating forum where it now has more than 53,000 upvotes. Alongside the caption: “Was about to sleep when I found this guy on my pillow,” the picture shows a large spiked caterpillar on top of the pillow.

In shock—and possibly slightly frightened—many on the internet flooded to the comments section to react to the creepy-crawly visitor.

One commenter said: “My soul would have left my body,” while another asked for reassurance and wrote: “Can someone please tell me this is some region of the world that is not mine so I can sleep today.”

In a later comment, the Redditor revealed they are from the Philippines as other users tried to work out what type of caterpillar it was. Some users suggested it was a black moth caterpillar or a buck moth caterpillar. The most popular suggestion, though, was a lappet moth caterpillar.

With more than 2,000 estimated species of the lappet moth worldwide, the caterpillars are large in size and often hairy. They feed on the leaves of various trees and plants.

But almost all stages of the lappet caterpillar are poisonous to human beings. When skin brushes against the caterpillar the lightweight spines break off and result in an irritating fluid that creates a burning sensation. Numbness and swelling can extend through the body in severe cases and red blotches will appear in the area.

“I’m never just going to sleep again,” wrote one commenter: “Major protocol after this one.” While another Redditor said: “I feel intense itching just from seeing that,” and one person wrote: “Throw the whole apartment away.”

In a later comment, u/rometickles revealed that the uninvited guest was as long as their palm: “[I] I threw it outside after minutes of collecting myself from anxiousness and slight panic,” they wrote.

“I would cleanse my pillow with fire,” wrote one viewer of the viral image. Another Reddit user wrote: “I’m sorry for your loss. That pillow belongs to the fireplace now.”

“Burn it. Burn the house,” suggested another scared Redditor.

Not the only person to find some unexpected wildlife in their home this week, another man on Reddit shared how he discovered a huge beehive in the window of his vacation home in France.

Reddit users said: “Just looking at this gives me the heebie-jeebies.”

Meanwhile, another internet user from Bangaldesh revealed how she discovered reptile eggs in an old make-up bag. Following the discovery of her, people branded her the “mother of dragons.”