Scientists at the University of Florida are warning Central Floridians about mosquitos that will be 20 times the size of a normal bug, WPTV reported.
UF entomologists predicted these "gallinippers," (Psorophora ciliate) about the size of a quarter, would rise up in 2013. They were spotted following the downpour of Tropical Storm Debbie and, after Tropical Storm Andrea, the eggs have had more time to grow.
The bigger mosquitos are said deliver a painful bite and can even bite through clothing.
"Yeah, it's a vicious biter," Ken Gioeli, natural resources agent for the St. Lucie Cooperative Extension Service, said. "They can bite right through your clothing and give you a good pinch, more painful than an ordinary mosquito bite."
Doug Carlson, mosquito control director for Indian River County, Fla. said he has been bitten by a gallinipper and it did not feel different from a regular bug bite.
"I'm not so sure the bite is all that much more painful than other mosquito bites," he said. "The gallinippers are so big they're certainly very noticeable. It can feel like a small bird has landed on you."
Gene Lemire, mosquito control manager for Martin County, said the gallinipper's size is what scares people. She said the large mosquitos rarely harm humans.
"[Gallinippers] are so big they scare people," he said. "But ... they tend to be a pasture mosquito, biting mostly cattle and horses and just incidentally biting humans."
Lemire is not convinced the extra-large bugs will breakout this summer.
"There may have been a lot of Psorophora ciliata in other areas of Florida last summer, but that wasn't the case in Martin County," he said. "So, if anything, I'm not expecting a big outbreak here this summer."
Lemire said Gallinippers need a cycle of wet-then-dry to mass-produce eggs.
"Each female can lay 200 eggs," he said. "If you have several cycles of eggs hatching, and then those mosquitoes lay more eggs, you can have a logarithmic increase in numbers."
Carlson said he would still expect a regular gallinipper season unless something tells him otherwise.
How to spot a gallinipper: The body is half an inch long with long legs that are hairy and have zebra stripes.
How to avoid gallinippers: Use generously an insect repellant with DEET and be sure to spray it on clothing as well as exposed skin.
According to Carlson, their name comes from their size: "The story I've heard from folks is that they're called gallinippers because they're so big they can nip a gallon of blood with a single bite."