Love Bug Research Paper
Love Bugs When most people hear the term “Love Bug” they automatically think of cute little Pink lady bugs on Valentine’s Day or catching the “Love Bug”. But what most people do not realize is that the Love Bug is a real living, breathing creature of the animal kingdom. The Love Bug or Plecia nearctia is in the class Insecta. Love Bugs live in large population in every state along the Gulf of Mexico, up into Georgia, and throughout Central America (Plecia). The Love Bug was first reported in the United States during the 1920’s in Southern Louisiana and ever since then working its way down the Golf Coast (Florida). The Plecia Nearctia is insect with bilateral symmetry and are sexual dimorphic. Sexually dimorphic mean that the one gender is larger than the other, in the Love Bugs case the female is larger than the male. Love Bugs have mostly black bodies with a pair of dark gray to
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black wings. On the top of the thorax just before the head is an orange area. The Love Bug resides in primary grass habitats. They are especially attracted to freshly cut lawns, animal pastors, decaying vegetation, and open areas (Plecia). Adult Love bugs are very strong flyers and have two main swarms a year. The swarm usually occurs anywhere in April through May and August through September. There fights can cause a big problem for motorists in the area because they fight in open areas such as road ways. Love Bugs can clog up radiator fins and cause overheating. Bugs that Splatter on to the car should be washed off as soon as possible because the chemical properties of the bugs may result in permanent damage to enamel finishes and paint (Florida). The Love Bugs life cycle is composed of four stages, the egg, larva, pupal stage, and adult. This is called a complete metamorphosis. First the female Love Bug lays an average of 350 eggs under decaying vegetation. In two to four days the eggs have hatched out and are now in the larva stage. The larva can move short distances and feed on decaying vegetation. Larva feeds until it is ready to pupate in 120-240 days since they hatched. The pupal stage last on average nine days, when the newly formed Love Bug occurs they have reached adulthood (Florida). With adulthood comes the responsibility of mating.
The Love Bug reproduces according to time frames. First period begins with the insect feeding on nectar. Then swarms of males hover in open areas attracting females. The females fly into the swarms and find the mate. The second period is the males and females attached to each other and they stay like that overnight. The third period is the next morning. The pairs disperse and the male dies and the female goes and lays her eggs, starting the life cycle over. The adult form of the Plecia Nearctia relies completely on nectar and pollen for food. Love bugs feed only during the day, and stop when late afternoon comes (Plecia). Love Bugs help pollenate plants while they are feeding, even though they are not as productive as bees they can play a role in the ecosystems of that area. Larva feed only on decaying vegetation as there food source this also helps the environment by decomposing vegetation (Plecia). As you can see the Plecia nearctia is a very complex organism with unique mating customs and a complete life
cycle.
Works Cited
. “Love Bug.” entomology. 2010.Web.Dec 13, 2011. “Love Bug.”Wikipedia.27 Nov. 2011.Web. Dec 15, 2011.
“Love Bug.” WorldBookOnline.2011Web.Dec 15, 2011.
“Love Bugs in Florida” University of Florida IFAS Extension.2009.Web. Dec 18, 2011. “Plecia Nearctia.” Animal Diversity.2008.Web. Dec 12, 2011.
black wings. On the top of the thorax just before the head is an orange area. The Love Bug resides in primary grass habitats. They are especially attracted to freshly cut lawns, animal pastors, decaying vegetation, and open areas (Plecia). Adult Love bugs are very strong flyers and have two main swarms a year. The swarm usually occurs anywhere in April through May and August through September. There fights can cause a big problem for motorists in the area because they fight in open areas such as road ways. Love Bugs can clog up radiator fins and cause overheating. Bugs that Splatter on to the car should be washed off as soon as possible because the chemical properties of the bugs may result in permanent damage to enamel finishes and paint (Florida). The Love Bugs life cycle is composed of four stages, the egg, larva, pupal stage, and adult. This is called a complete metamorphosis. First the female Love Bug lays an average of 350 eggs under decaying vegetation. In two to four days the eggs have hatched out and are now in the larva stage. The larva can move short distances and feed on decaying vegetation. Larva feeds until it is ready to pupate in 120-240 days since they hatched. The pupal stage last on average nine days, when the newly formed Love Bug occurs they have reached adulthood (Florida). With adulthood comes the responsibility of mating.
The Love Bug reproduces according to time frames. First period begins with the insect feeding on nectar. Then swarms of males hover in open areas attracting females. The females fly into the swarms and find the mate. The second period is the males and females attached to each other and they stay like that overnight. The third period is the next morning. The pairs disperse and the male dies and the female goes and lays her eggs, starting the life cycle over. The adult form of the Plecia Nearctia relies completely on nectar and pollen for food. Love bugs feed only during the day, and stop when late afternoon comes (Plecia). Love Bugs help pollenate plants while they are feeding, even though they are not as productive as bees they can play a role in the ecosystems of that area. Larva feed only on decaying vegetation as there food source this also helps the environment by decomposing vegetation (Plecia). As you can see the Plecia nearctia is a very complex organism with unique mating customs and a complete life
cycle.
Works Cited
. “Love Bug.” entomology. 2010.Web.Dec 13, 2011. “Love Bug.”Wikipedia.27 Nov. 2011.Web. Dec 15, 2011.
“Love Bug.” WorldBookOnline.2011Web.Dec 15, 2011.
“Love Bugs in Florida” University of Florida IFAS Extension.2009.Web. Dec 18, 2011. “Plecia Nearctia.” Animal Diversity.2008.Web. Dec 12, 2011.