NICOSIA – Just in time for spring and with the summer beach season on the horizon is the kind of news Cyprus doesn’t want as it awaits more tourists: a team of researchers said a water bug that can reach 12 centimeters (4.72 inches) length was spotted.

That was by swimmers astounded to see the giant bugs in the water, which hasn’t been recorded in Cyprus before but they’ve been found Greece, Turkey and Israel, a team of researchers said, reported Gizmodo.

https://gizmodo.com/giant-toe-biting-water-bugs-are-on-the-loose-in-cyprus-1851348157

It’s known by the species name L. patruelis and resembles a huge cockroach, enough to scare anyone of the water like they’ve just seen Jaws again and heard the music in their heads.

Researchers report seven sightings of the insect, primarily on Cyprus’ eastern coast. Research describing the evidence that the bug has settled in Cyprus was published recently in Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle Grigore Antipa.

Five of the sightings were documented on social media, and two were directly communicated to the study authors who sampled wetlands on the island but couldn’t find any although they recovered specimens found by people who posted it on social media.

Also known as electric light bugs, they eat invertebrates, fish, and turtles, and can even take down birds. Their bites aren’t lethal to humans but are extremely painful, although they don’t target humans unless provoked or agitated.

The researchers said it’s likely the “probably flew” to Cyprus from the mainland, perhaps attracted by lights near the island’s coast or that they were pushed to Cyprus by the wind or sea currents.