It happens every year down in our little sunny state. Out of nowhere, swarms of lovebugs, a.k.a. honeymoon flies, take to the sky and swarm all around us.
It happens around this time every year in Florida. Seemingly out of nowhere, swarms of lovebugs (also known as honeymoon flies) take to the air across our yards and roadways. While harmless to people, they can be quite the nuisance. Despite their recurring appearance, few people actually know much about these flying insects – and rumors of their origins are rampant.
Lovebugs are relatively small black insects with a red to reddish-brown color highlighting the back of the thorax (upper body). Scientifically named Plecia nearctica, they do not bite or sting people, animals or other insects. As larvae, they feed on decaying plants; as adults, they feed on nectar. The adults generally live for only a few days. They truly are quite harmless, so why do they infuriate so many people?
During their major semi-annual mating flights, hundreds of thousands of lovebugs can fill the air in a given area. In Florida, these flights usually take place in late April/early May and late August/early September. There can also be a smaller flight in December.
While mating, male and female lovebug pairs link together for days at a time, flying together in a kind of slow drift. Walking through a cloud of lovebugs is no fun, but driving through them is what tends to really irritate us. Lovebugs don’t move out of the way of cars and their bodies don’t stand much of a chance against your grille, hood or windshield.
The Lovebug Myth
Now, if you ask any joe on the street in Florida every fourth or fifth answer will get you some sort of conspiracy theory. But, to tell the truth, Love Bugs isn’t some science experiment gone wrong.
Lovebugs are actually from Central America. They migrated through Texas and Louisiana, before making their way to Florida. They can now also be found in Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia among other states, even into South Carolina. Still, Florida seems to be where their populations thrive.
