Love is in the air

It's the season for love bugs.  They are everywhere!  I decided to do a wee bit of research on them since it is hard to step outside without noticing them, let alone having them crawl all over you.  I even found a pair down my shirt the other day.
Love bugs (plecia nearctica hardy) are not native to FL and migrated over here from the West coast.  They were found in Alachua County in 1964.  Love bugs take flight in two seasons; spring and late summer.  The females can lay up to 350 eggs which hatch 20 days later.  The larvae then feed on dead vegetation for 9 months before the pupae stage which can last from 7-10 days.  Finally they reach maturity and are ready to mate.  Adult males die immediately after mating while the female will live for 2-3 days.  The female will drag her dead mate around with her until she lays her eggs.
Tips:

• Love bugs are attracted to light colored surfaces.
• Freshly waxed cars are more likely to be protected from the acidic love bug residue
• Spreading a light film of baby oil on the hood and grill of your car before a long trip will help reduce the number of dead love bugs found on your car after a long drive

There is a myth that Florida love bugs are the result of a University of Florida genetics research experiment gone wrong.  However, L. L. Bushman did some research on this myth and was able to prove that Love Bugs did indeed migrate from the West and that is why we now see them in the south.
Floridan Nature, http://www.floridiannature.com/FloridaLovebugs.htm, last checked September 24, 2010.