Fact Check: Should you be afraid of Nun Moth?

Hyderabad: An image of an insect is being shared on X, whose back looks like the ghost in the 2018 Hollywood horror film, The Nun.

A similar image was also posted on a Reddit page as well.

But is this ‘Nun moth’ real? Let’s find out.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false as the viral image is a digital creation by an artist.

We performed a reverse image search and found the viral image in a video, published on June 30, 2023, on an Instagram account with the username @richardwilkinsonart.

The caption of the post reads, “The ‘Timorpersonidae - Insects Inspired by Classic Horror Cinema’ poster is out now! It’s a very large format: 584mm x 841mm / 23.4 x 33.1 inches and really beautifully printed. The first 150 are signed so be quick if you want one of those. Go to richardwilkinson.art or follow the link in the bio.”

We visited the website of Richard Wilkinson and found multiple similar insect artwork. Richard Wilkinson is an English artist and illustrator whose work is described as being influenced by the art of pioneering natural history artists of the 18th and 19th centuries. His work draws heavily on the scientific aesthetic of this era, but turns the microscope’s focus instead onto the flora and fauna of modern popular culture, according to the About section of his website.

Moreover, we also found the poster of the Nun moth on Richard Wilkinson’s shopping website.

Hence, it is evident that the viral image of the Nun moth is a work of art and is not real.