[caption id="attachment_63240" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Huge Florida Mosquitoes Set To Invade The Sunshine State[/caption]Florida Prepares for huge Mosquitoes This Year

Florida residents now have something else to worry about this summer, besides dangerous sinkholes and the impending hurricane season.

Huge Florida mosquitoes the size of a quarter are set to invade the everglade region as early as this summer, if the rainy season is wet enough.

These huge mosquitoes, called gallinippers, have been dubbed "one of the most ferocious insects" in existence.

They lay eggs which hatch after rainy, wet periods such as floods, hurricanes and excessive rainfall. Due to Tropical Storm Debby causing particular flooding issues to the region last year, gallinippers are expected to experience a population boom within the next few months.

The galinipper bite “feels like you’re being stabbed,” Anthony Pelaez of the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa told MyFoxOrlando. Palaez said he’s suffered man galinipper bites while working in the Amazon.

“It’s about the size of a quarter. … It’s about 20 times bigger than the sort of typical, Florida mosquito that you find,” Pelaez said. “And it’s mean, and it goes after people, and it bites, and it hurts.”

the huge Florida Mosquitoes has a half-inch long body and even longer legs - hairy ones with white bands. Clark said the mosquito would easily cover a quarter. It’s aggressive when pursuing its blood meal, and it loves to bite during the day, Kaufman said.

The gallinipper could be mistaken for the invasive and more exotic sounding Asian tiger mosquito, which has made its way to parts of Indiana and Illinois.

Gallinipper eggs can sit for years, waiting for the right conditions to hatch. Once they’re out, adults live for two weeks to a month, Kaufman said.

Unlike it's smaller cousin's predisposition to carrying diseases such as West Nile virus and Malaria, the gallinipper is not known to carry any diseases, however this fact comes as little comfort for the citizens of Florida who are doing their best to stock up on bug spray before the coming months.

On The Web:

Huge Florida Mosquitoes Larger Than A Quarter Set To Invade This Summer
http://www.inquisitr.com/563688/huge-florida-mosquitoes-larger-than-a-quarter-set-to-invade-this-summer/

Huge Florida mosquitoes: Monster insects are called 'Gallinippers'
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0309/Huge-Florida-mosquitoes-Monster-insects-are-called-Gallinippers

Huge Florida mosquitoes: What you need to know (Photo)
http://www.examiner.com/article/huge-florida-mosquitoes-what-you-need-to-know-photo