THEY look like aliens from some futuristic Hollywood blockbuster.

But these ugly bugs are in fact commonplace and have almost certainly invaded your home.

They were captured by British science photographer Steve Gschmeissner, 61, who uses hi-tech electron microscopes to magnify the creatures more than a million times.

Under his lens, a household maggot looks more like a something from a creature feature than the tiny grub you sometimes find crawling around in your bin.

Another image shows a house dust mite - a bug that is normally harmless but which can trigger allergic reactions in people suffering from asthma.

The common cat flea, one of the world's most common fleas, appears more like an armoured animal hiding in a deep forest than the tiny jumping bug that can make your life a misery, while the house fly and flour mite are worthy of the best sci-fi writers' imaginations.