Transcript Lovebug Myths

Living with
Lovebugs in Florida
Norm Leppla
UF/IFAS
Named Species of
Animals
Insect Orders
Types of Flies
Pest Insects
Lovebugs are Pests!
We're getting lovebugs off of vehicles all the
time. We hope that lovebugs stay around
until Christmas, it's good for my business.
(Lake City Reporter)
Female lovebugs
larger than malesdeposit ca. 350 eggs
Adult lovebugs
live only 3-4 days
Male lovebug’s
eyes 4x larger
than female’shelp locate
mates?
Lovebug Life Cycle
Lovebug larvae require several months to
develop into adults.
Spring Generation
October-April
Fall Generation
May-September
Lovebug Larvae
Lovebug larvae are beneficial.
–Recycle decaying organic matter
–Large numbers found under cow manure
Lovebug Larval Habitat
Adult Lovebugs
Paynes Prairie
Lovebug Flight Activity
Leppla et al. (1974)
Lovebug Mating and
Dispersal
Mating begins when females fly into a swarm
of males, usually in the morning.
Males compete for each female that emerges.
Larger males near the bottom of a swarm
have greater mating success.
Mating lasts up to about 12 hours.
Dispersal continues for a day or two (or until
smashed by a vehicle!).
Lovebug Myths
UF researchers brought lovebugs into
Florida and genetically engineered them
to eat mosquitoes.
Lovebug Myths
Phytophagous
Entomophagous
Lovebug Myths
Lovebugs are attracted to vehicles
and exhaust fumes.
Lovebug Myths
Their guts have some kind of enzyme that eats
through the clearcoat on an automobile. It
burns almost like an acid burn in your paint
job. You can't scrape it off. You can't clean it
off- it's permanent. (Lake City Reporter)
Lovebug Myths
Lovebugs fly around in copula.
Lovebug Myths
Sperm transfer
Lovebug Myths
UF is conducting research to control
lovebugs.
http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu
What To Do About Lovebugs?
Will it help to spray pesticides to
control lovebugs?
Do they have any natural enemies?
Do repellents work?
How can I avoid
lovebugs?
Swarms occur
April-May
& August-Sept.
Information on Lovebugs
UF/IFAS Featured Creatures article on
lovebugs: http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu
EDIS article on lovebugs:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.edu/MG068
UF/IFAS extension information source:
http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu