Insects of Unusual Size

FAIRFAX, Va. (June 14, 2013) – Insects come in all shapes and sizes, but there’s a difference between hearing about a strange species and seeing it. Some of these bugs can be very interesting, but it’s important to remember that bigger doesn’t always mean more dangerous and smaller doesn’t always mean harmless. 

Halfway across the world, scientists in China recently discovered two species of spider that are among the smallest known to man. One species is less than 2 mm in length and the other is less than 1 mm. To put that in perspective, 1 mm is the size of a large grain of sand. These itsy bitsy spiders are thought to be endemic to their home in China so no need to worry about them crawling around the house.

However, there is a species of mosquito garnering a lot of attention in Florida. P. ciliata, or gallinippers as they’re commonly called, are appearing in the Sunshine State to the dismay of both locals and tourists. This species of mosquito can be up to 20 times larger than an everyday mosquito and is more aggressive. Fortunately, gallinippers are not known to transmit disease unlike other species and can be prevented the same way we prevent regular-sized mosquitoes.