Photos of a gigantic moth larger than an adult person’s hand went viral after they were shared on Facebook.

The pictures of the moth in question were taken by an Aussie family who was hiking in Camp Mountain, Brisbane, when they came across the giant.

In the photos taken by Pam Taylor and her family, the moth appears to be bigger than the hand of the man who is holding the branch with the moth on just inches away from the animal.

After the pictures were shared on Amateur Entomology Australia, a Facebook page dedicated to fans of insects, people were quick to express their interest in the finding.

“I found one of these beautiful moths in my front yard at Morningside years ago. They are so beautiful and so massive,” someone wrote.

“Beautiful!!! I would love to see that moth! They are so cute!!!” another one said.

One person recalled: “I remember seeing a moth as big as my hand in Central Victoria as a child, laying large eggs 2 or 3mm diameter, so impressive.”

As Pam revealed, she later returned to the spot where her family had found the insect only to realize it was already busy mating with another moth.

“I went to check on him this morning to see if he survived the storm last night. He definitely kept himself busy! The largest moth is the female!” she wrote in an update as she shared a photo of the two moths mating.

The moths in question appear to be giant wood moths which can be found across Australia and measure up to 6 inches in length. These giant insects may also have a wingspan of up to 14 inches.

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