History Of Love Bugs In Florida

The strange looking insect commonly known as the lovebug managed to escape from researchers and began to spread rapidly wreaking havoc on people and cars.

History of love bugs in florida. While mating male and female lovebug pairs link together for days at a time flying together in a kind of slow drift. The species was first described in 1940 by d. Contrary to popular belief the university of florida did not introduce the love bug to the state. Lovebugs are attracted to decomposing plant debris but may confuse these odors with chemicals in.

The love bug plecia nearctica is a species of march fly found in parts of central america and the southeastern united states especially along the gulf coast. During the 20th century lovebugs migrated from central america traveling through texas and louisiana before arriving in florida. Their name comes from the fact that they mate while airborne and you ll rarely see a lone love bug. In florida these flights usually take place in late april early may and late august early september.

Although most people have heard or told this. The love bug a fly in the bibionidae family also known as the honeymoon fly telephone bug double headed bug united bug and march fly is a nuisance any florida motorist is unhappily. The infamous florida lovebugs are no bugs at all actually. It is also known as the honeymoon fly or double headed bug during and after mating matured pairs remain together even in flight for up to several days.

There can also be a smaller flight in december. Males are tiny only 1 4 long 6mm and the females are only slightly bigger at just under 1 2 inch 12mm long. Sometime in the 1950s an experiment gone horribly wrong at the university of florida produced a pesky bug with no apparent purpose.