Locals were astonished by a rare Atlas moth with massive wings the size of a human hand in Thailand.

Cafe customers played with the huge bug which they spotted perched among bushes near a gas station in Phayao province on July 12.

The insect had a wingspan of around four inches, with its body measuring around three inches. Its yellow wings were adorned with distinctive black circiles that looked like eyes.

Customer Patprakit Thajai said he had bought coffee and was walking back to his car when the Atlas moth caught his eye with its unusual appearance.

He said: 'It had such a strange appearance that I became curious and took a video of it. The pattern on its wings looked like a person's face.'

The Atlas moth is among the largest insects in the world and is endemic to Asia.

Their bodies are disproportionately smaller than their gigantic wings, which can reach up to 27 centimetres across.

Despite having a proboscis, these moths do not feed once they become adults, resulting in a short lifespan of between one to two weeks.