Nina Greipel, APA pair of Lovebugs are seen as they mate on a sweet potato vine leaf in Port Charlotte, Fla.
Nina Greipel, APA pair of Lovebugs are seen as they mate on a sweet potato vine leaf in Port Charlotte, Fla.
A trip to see Louisiana State University's football team go up against an opponent in Tiger Stadium means at least two car washes for Adam Young.That's one after he arrives in Baton Rouge and another when he returns to Shreveport-Bossier City, La.Young isn't a neat freak. Rather, he's just playing good defense against one of the South's most prolific pests: the lovebug.Twice a year -- March and September -- the winged insect emerges from a dormant stage, taking to the air en masse. In the process, thousands of lovebugs end up on windshields, headlights and radiator grilles."I went through a whole gallon of windshield wiper solution," Young saidof a recent trip down south. "When you are going 80 mph on Interstate 49, it sounds like you are driving through rain."Gulf Coast states -- Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida -- are seeing more lovebugs this fall than in previous seasons. Reasons for the influx vary, entomologists say, but generally wet, hot and humid conditions are ideal for breeding.In Texas, more rain following drought conditions in years past may explain why there seems to be more lovebugs. The numbers appear to be so great that Mike Merchant of Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension Service in Dallas says he recently received a phone call from a friend living in the Houston area who had lovebugs covering an exterior wall of his home."It's the worst he's ever seen them down there," Merchant said. Lovebugs -- so nicknamed because they are often found mating in flight -- are black flies with a reddish-orange thorax. A little less than half an inch long, the flies live for about a week but are abundant for a month or so as new adults emerge, according to AgriLIFE.The flies, which eat decayed plant matter, essentially are harmless, Louisiana State University AgCenter extension agent Bennett Joffrion said.It can be a different matter when the bugs are clogging up a radiator or splattered on car paint."You don't want to leave it on your vehicle for any length of time; they tend to have an acidic nature," Joffrion said.Bath also reports for The (Shreveport, La.) TimesFor more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
