Story By: Alex Cope, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

Teenagers are taking bizarre snaps with cockroaches on their faces and in their mouths before posting them online as part of a revolting new social media challenge, as these photos show.

The ‘Cockroach Challenge’ reportedly originated in Burma and has now spread across the world with teens posting photos of themselves with the insects.

Reports state Burmese youngster Alex Yung may have been the first to post the challenge and his photo with a cockroach on his cheek has been shared over 18,000 times.

Pictures Credit: AsiaWire & AsiaWire/@alex.aung.96592 & AsiaWire/@penmerahdotcomhq & AsiaWire/Last Queen & AsiaWire/@myat.htoonaung & AsiaWire/@/kevin.recio.963 & AsiaWire/V I B E S

He added the caption: “New challenge. Can you do this?”

Other netizens have taken the challenge further, with one girl posting with a huge cockroach on her nose and another girl seemingly with one in her mouth, with the rear legs of the insect poking out.

Another user posted with four huge cockroaches on his fingers with his hand in front of his face.

Reports say youngsters in the Philippines and Indonesia are now jumping onto the trend and one photo shows a girl with eight cockroaches all over her face as she calmly poses for a photo.

Cockroaches are abundant throughout the world and live in a wide range of environments especially in the tropics and subtropics.