Hate for Love Bugs
Hate for Love
Bugs
By: Zach
McDonald
Love bugs or
scientifically known as P. nearctica; from order: Diptera, Family: Bibionidae,
and Genus: Plecia can be found in Central America and in states along the Gulf
of Mexico. Originally love bugs were only native in Central America but in the
1920s migrated to the states along the Gulf of Mexico. This origin of love bugs
however is not well known to Floridians, including me as a young age, who have
grown up hearing the urban legend of the love bug.
The
life cycle of a love bug is about four to nine month, where the whole “season”
of when they are most prominent lasts three to four weeks when they are in
flight. The male and female love bugs have a unique method for mating. They
mate for two to three days and are physically attached for that period of time. Once they detach
the male immediately dies and the female shortly dies after she lays her eggs.
The female love bug lays the eggs on the top soil with decaying vegetation
which is what the love bug larvae feed upon. The love bug remains in the larvae
stage for about 120 days feeding on decaying plants in the soil. They then
begin the pupa stage which only lasts seven to nine days until they are fully
grown adults where the males take flight before the females which as soon as
the females reach the adult stage they immediately begin copulating.
Love bugs are actually
widely hated among Floridians. The insect fly’s very slowly between 5
to 7 mph making it very common to hit them with your car when they are in the
adult stage. If one does not clean off their vehicle within a few days the hot
Florida weather bakes the dead love bug onto the car and when attempting to
clean the car damage can be done to the paint. Because Florida winters are not
cold like winter in other places there is very little change in vegetation and
animal behavior between the seasons from winter to spring. Love bugs are mainly
active in May when this would be considered spring but Floridians generally
refer to spring as “love bug season” because there is no drastic change in
weather and there are so many of these species present this time of year. “It’s
a toss up between tourists and lovebugs as the most annoying creatures that
infest the highways of Florida during this time” (Dickey).
People
who are not educated about love bugs view them as just a pest and have no role
in the environment. Because of this view of love bugs there is an urban myth
about the love bug. The myth is that they were genetically engineered at the
University of Florida to feed on mosquitoes but was unsuccessful and they
managed to escape and now overwhelmingly overpopulate Florida and are unhealthy
for the environment. This however is not true. Love bugs have been around for a
very long time in Central America and migrated to areas such as Florida in the
early 1900s and are just very abundant and noticeable creatures.
Not
only is this myth of where love bugs came from incorrect but the fact that some
think they are just a pest and serve no purpose in the environment is also
incorrect. “Lovebugs play a vital part in the ecosystems, according to Evan
Siemann, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Rice University.
Larvae feed on thatch in the lawn. Through this process they redistribute
essential nutrients back into the soil, benefiting plants” (Head). Love bugs
are very abundant insects and it would more positively impact local Floridians
if they understood that love bugs are helpful to the environment and not just a
nuisance that you have to clean off your car whenever you get off the highway.
Dickey, Bryan. “We Finally Know Where Florida
Lovebugs Came From.” Things Floridians Like, 30 July 2016, http://thingsfloridianslike.com/the-truth-about-lovebugs-revealed/.
Head, Ricky. “Lovebugs: Messy, but Vital in the
Ecosystem?” The Alma Times, 22 Sept. 2014, www.thealmatimes.com/opinion/lovebugs-messy-but-vital-in-the-ecosystem/article_31210126-2657-5961-a9d4-62bad02e7f43.html.
Leppla, Norman C. “Living with Lovebugs.” EDIS New
Publications RSS, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, 1 Jan. 2016, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in694.
Great post Zachary! I have love love bugs now!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the contrast you communicated between the myths people believe and the truths about love bugs.
ReplyDelete