Aussies spooked after 'human-shaped effigies' are discovered hanging from a tree on a farm in Western Australia

By CAITLIN POWELL - NEWS REPORTER Published: 03:55, 30 April 2026 | Updated: 03:57, 30 April 2026 A dog walker in Western Australia's Wheatbelt was startled after she discovered what appeared to be 'human-shaped effigies' hanging from a tree.  But experts have revealed the structures were the result of venomous caterpillars. Jerry May shared photos of the clusters of branches hanging from trees with Yahoo News, describing how 'one definitely looked person-shaped'. She compared the structures to mandrakes in the popular Harry Potter novels, magical plants resembling a crying, human-like baby.  Another of the bizarre finds looked like a hanged body. But University of Queensland venom expert Dr Andrew Walker confirmed the creepy structures were created by venomous processionary caterpillars. They form lines along the ground and spin large nests, such as those seen by Jerry May, which can include between five and fifty of the creatures. 'If you do open one up, it usually contains a lot of silk, a lot of caterpillars, a lot of shed skin, and a huge amount of poo,' he said. A woman walking her dogs in the Western Australian Wheatbelt was alarmed by what appeared to be 'effigies' hanging from trees (pictured) Experts revealed they were nests created by processionary caterpillars (stock image) 'In some cases, you'll see a tree that has lost all its leaves and wonder where they've gone, and then you'll find a processionary caterpillar. 'Sometimes, as soon as you open them up, there are clouds of their tiny hairs in the air - and some people are going to react very badly to them.' The caterpillars, also known as itchy grubs, are often spotted in armies marching head-to-tail along the undergrowth. They have featured in an episode of the animated children's show Bluey, with the title character and Bingo admiring them. However, the creatures can be a risk for people and animals, with the Australian Geographic urging people not to touch them.  Their tiny hairs can become dust and cause severe skin irritation.  Dr Walker warned the tiny hairs could work their way into the skin and release toxins into the tissue and intestines.  The caterpillars are the larvae of an insect called the bag-shelter moth, which is also hairy and can cause a strong allergic response. The grubs, which march in lines head-to-tail, have featured on the children's show Bluey While still larvae, clusters can be found at the base of food trees in coastal areas.  For inland locations, like the Wheatbelt, they are typically found in the branches.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.