Love Bugs
Created | Updated Apr 30, 2005
Plecia nearctica, or “Love Bugs” as they are commonly called, are nothing if not annoying and messy (the later part applies mostly to the motorist). These little (about the length of a person’s pinky nail and as wide as the little ink holding tube found in most disposable ball-point pens) black and red insects swarm in large clouds. In the spring and summer months (here in Texas) the clouds are a common and irritating sight. They mate
end-to-end buzzing about in the air, hence the name love bugs, and find roadways especially appealing (“…why don’t we do it in the road…”). A nasty habit of the beasts is to dry and harden their splatted bodies to ones car before there is an opportunity to wash them away, thus making the removal of the smelly (they posses the aroma of a skillet which has been used to cook eggs being washed, you know what I mean?) things nearly impossible to remove from your hood, wind shield, grill, etc.
These creatures are native to Central America (Costa Rico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico), but have been spreading across the south eastern United States, i.e. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. They are especially common/annoying along the Gulf Coast of Texas.
Avoid if at all possible. (The insects and the listed states, all of which are useless.)
Guide researcher: Jacob Heiling
4/30/05
end-to-end buzzing about in the air, hence the name love bugs, and find roadways especially appealing (“…why don’t we do it in the road…”). A nasty habit of the beasts is to dry and harden their splatted bodies to ones car before there is an opportunity to wash them away, thus making the removal of the smelly (they posses the aroma of a skillet which has been used to cook eggs being washed, you know what I mean?) things nearly impossible to remove from your hood, wind shield, grill, etc.
These creatures are native to Central America (Costa Rico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico), but have been spreading across the south eastern United States, i.e. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. They are especially common/annoying along the Gulf Coast of Texas.
Avoid if at all possible. (The insects and the listed states, all of which are useless.)
Guide researcher: Jacob Heiling
4/30/05
