Just like the plot of a bad science fiction movie Central Florida is preparing to deal with an invasion by enormous, blood sucking mosquitoes. According to Orlando station WKMG a gigantic invasive breed of mosquito has been spotted in the area.
The breed known as psorophora ciliata, commonly referred to as gallnippers, boast a size up to 20 times that of the typical mosquito. University of Florida natural resources agent Ken Gioeli told WPTV that the gallnippers "can bite right through your clothing and give you a good pinch, more painful than an ordinary mosquito bite.
Expert entomologists had warned that a gallnipper infestation was possible after the very heavy rains encountered with Tropical Storms Andrea and Debbie. The giant mosquito eggs can lay dormant for years waiting for just the right situation to hatch, according to Time.
A statement released by the University of Florida compared the hungry bugs to Harley Davidsons.
"If mosquitos were motorcycles, this species would be a Harley Davidson - big, bold, American-made and likely to be abundant in Florida this summer," the statement said.
Doug Carlson, the mosquito control director for Indian River County, Fla., has been bitten many times by the bugs, according to Time.
"The gallnippers are so big they're certainly very noticeable," Carlson said. "It can feel like a small bird has landed on you."
While a bite from a gallnipper is a little bit more painful than that of the average mosquito but on the bright side gallnippers don't carry any viruses that are harmful to humans, according to University of Florida entomologist Phil Kaufman.
Gallnippers can be dealt with in the same manner as their smaller cousins; cover up, use bug spray containing DEET, trying to avoid areas with stagnant water and staying indoors after dark.
The first mention of the bugs is from David Flanery's article in the journal Nature in which he describes the mammoth mosquito as "the little zebra-legged things - the shyest, slyest, meanest and most venomous of them all."
