THE hurricanes which have battered the States in recent months have spawned billions of highly-aggressive 'monster' mosquitoes.

The giant bloodsuckers have a voracious appetite, zebra stripes and are FIVE TIMES bigger than other flood mozzies.

4 The giant bloodsuckers have zebra stripes and are five times bigger than others Credit: Getty - Contributor

The eggs of the Psorophora ciliata - known as gallnippers - can lie dormant for years until the right kind of floodwaters come along, then they hatch in huge swarms.

And experts warn the pain of a bite from one of these mega-mozzies - which can grow to more than one inch long - can feel like you are being stabbed with a needle.

Gallnippers can strike day and night and due to their large size they can bite through clothing and are immune to regular insect repellent.

Assistant professor in the Department of Entomology at North Carolina State University Michael H. Reiskind said they are pretty hard to miss.

4 A gallnipper pictured next to a much smaller Asian Tiger mosquito Credit: Handout

4 They are believed to be immune to regular insect repellent Credit: Alamy

He said. "If you see mosquitoes often, then you're going to say, 'Wow, that's a big mosquito.'"

The floodwaters which followed Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas have already spawned swarms of the bugs and now Hurricane Michael is set to do the same in the tourist mecca of Florida.

Reiskind told CNN exactly how painful the bite is or the effect it can have varies from individual to individual.

However, he added "big mosquito, big proboscis - that's the mouth part that bites. It's a painful bite."