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intage field-guide illustration of Mothman, a tall, dark humanoid cryptid with huge bat-like wings, glowing red eyes, and ...
Documented
Case File #MOT-007

Mothman

Winged apparition tied to disasters in and around Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Mothman is a towering, red-eyed figure reported near bridges, abandoned industrial sites, and moments when everything feels one step from coming apart.

Lepidoptera giganteus

LocationPoint Pleasant, West Virginia
RegionAppalachia

Case Sections

In Review

Stands approximately 6–7 feet tall with a broad, humanoid frame. Most distinctive features include enormous moth-like wings, often reported with spans exceeding 10 feet, and large, luminous red eyes that glow intensely in low light or darkness. The body is typically described as gray to dark brown, muscular, and densely built, with a silhouette that appears solid and imposing at close range. Witnesses frequently note the creature’s stillness before movement and the unsettling intensity of its gaze. Facial features beyond the eyes are rarely described in detail, often obscured by darkness, distance, or the creature’s posture. Reports consistently emphasize the eyes and wings over finer anatomical detail, suggesting witnesses focus on the most visually dominant aspects during encounters.

Declassified Briefings

Witness Accounts

In Review
Witness: Roger Scarberry & Steve Mallette
Date: November 15, 1966
Location: TNT Area, Point Pleasant, WV

We were driving near the old TNT plant when we saw it. This thing was standing by the road, at least seven feet tall. When our headlights hit it, these red eyes just lit up like reflectors, but brighter. It had wings folded against its back. When we sped up, it took off and followed us - flying right above the car at 100 miles per hour. We've never been so terrified in our lives.

Form No. ACD-47B
Rev. 08/1972
Internal
File Copy
Appalachian Cryptid Division
Department of Unexplained Phenomena
Internal Memorandum
To:Field Research Division
From:Regional Director
Date:[CLASSIFIED]
Re:Mothman - Case MOT-007
Mothman remains one of the Bureau’s most extensively documented and least understood entities. While often grouped with humanoid cryptids, its behavior does not align cleanly with territorial, predatory, or defensive patterns. Investigators are advised to treat sightings as contextual events, noting surrounding conditions, infrastructure stress, and subsequent outcomes rather than focusing solely on physical description. The Bureau does not recommend pursuit.
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