Students living in Gainesville this summer may want to steer clear of rural areas — or just bring a lot of bug spray along.
Phillip Kaufman, associate professor of entomology with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, said a super-sized mosquito could return to Florida this summer. Commonly referred to as gallinippers, the species Psorophora ciliata was in unusually large abundance last summer after Tropical Storm Debby flooded many parts of Florida, Kaufman said.
The species, which lays its eggs in soil near bodies of water, may be back during this coming rainy season.
“The likelihood of them being [in Gainesville] this summer in large numbers is entirely tied to the likelihood of tropical storm systems,” Kaufman said.
They are one of the largest types of mosquitoes found in the U.S, he said. Kaufman said the species is “not likely to be a big problem for students” because Gainesville has a mosquito control district, which monitors and investigates residents’ mosquito inquiries.
“They are just a big mosquito,” he said. “They’re no bigger than they normally are. They’re supposed to be here.”
Tyler Peters, a 22-year-old UF psychology senior, will be taking classes in Gainesville. He said he’s not too worried.
“It’s just annoying. I’m a lifeguard, and I’ll be outside a lot, so I can’t really avoid it,” he said, adding he was first bit by the large species of mosquito when kayaking in Key West.
“I was attacked by a swarm of them,” he said. “A normal mosquito can kind of pass under your radar without you noticing, but you can really see these things.”
