A mosquito large enough to cover your face? A flying scorpion as big as your hand? These images would probably give you endless nightmares. But in China, they're real.

In the Insect Museum of West China, photos of the what is becoming to be known as the world's largest flying aquatic insect are being given away to visitors and science researchers. Which you'd probably prefer than personally having to face a live specimen. Museum staff still don't know what those large pincers could do.

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These insects, found to be unusually large specimens of the giant dobsonfly, have been discovered thriving in China's Sichuan province.

According to the museum, local villagers in the outskirts of Chengdu handed over "weird insects that resemble giant dragonflies with long teeth" earlier this month.

Giant dobsonflies are native to China and Vietnam, and are generally regarded not as monsters, but as indicators of good water quality.They thrive only in clean water and are highly sensitive to changes in the water's pH level, and to the presence of trace elements of pollutants. Any slight contamination, and the giant dobsonfly will move on to seek cleaner habitations.

The largest specimen the museum got hold of measured 8.27 inches (21 centimeters) when its wings were open, busting the original record for largest aquatic insect held by a South American helicopter damselfly, which had a wingspan of 7.5 inches (19.1 centimeters).

As for the fearsome mandibles, museum staff say they wouldn't do much damage as they have such poor leverage and wouldn't break skin. Males use them exclusively for mating - grasping the female during copulation. But the females retain their pincers longer and can inflict painful bites.

They do have a more powerful last-defense tool - an irritating, foul-smelling anal spray that would drive any predator away.

The insect can be found in other provinces in China, India's Assam state, and in northern Vietnam.

This is the first time it has appeared in Sichuan province.

TagsGiant Dobsonfly, Sichuan