1 / 22

The Lovebug in Florida: Setting the Record Straight J. P ...

Gabriel
Download Presentation

The Lovebug in Florida: Setting the Record Straight J. P ...

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

    1. The Lovebug in Florida: Setting the Record Straight J. P. Cuda and N. C. Leppla

    3. Lovebugs were released by UF entomologists as part of an experiment that failed Lovebugs eat mosquitoes NOT!!!

    4. Lovebugs are not bugs but flies Order Hemiptera- “True bugs” Order Diptera- “Flies” Family Bibionidae- March flies Lovebug has other names Honeymoon bug Plecia nearctica Hardy $@#%&@%$# !!!!!!!

    5. Lovebugs are not native to the US Emigrated from Central America into Texas Lovebugs spread east along Gulf Coast Louisiana- 1920s Mississippi-1940- type locality Alabama- early 1940s ? South Carolina- 1975

    6.

    7. Lovebugs did not appear in Florida until the late 1940s Lovebugs entered Florida from the Panhandle and eventually migrated southward

    8.

    9.

    10.

    11.

    12.

    13. Immature or larval stage of the lovebug is a maggot

    14. Lovebug larvae require several months to develop into adults Oct to April- Spring generation May to September- Fall generation Lovebug larvae are beneficial Recycle decaying organic matter Large numbers found under cow manure Did You Know ?

    15. Female lovebugs larger than males Deposit ca. 350 eggs Adult lovebugs live only 3- 4 days Lovebugs separate on vegetation but not in flight or at night Male lovebug’s eyes 4X larger than the female’s Help locate potential mates

    16. Mating begins when females fly into a swarm of hovering males between 8-10 AM or 4-5 PM Larger males near bottom of swarms have greater mating success Up to 8 males compete for 1 female Mating lasts up ca. 56 hrs (or until smashed by a vehicle)

    17. Several factors contribute to the lovebug problem Improved pastures (thatch) & cattle production (manure) Reduction in annual burning of woodlands and leaf litter Banning of DDT for insect control in mid-1960s

    18. Lovebug mating flights: Occur Apr-May & Aug-Sept Reach altitudes of 1500 ft Extend several miles over the Gulf of Mexico Cover 25% of Florida’s land area Occur between 10 AM & 4 PM at a temperature above 82 oF

    19.

    20. Lovebugs congregate at highway intersections, traffic lights, filling stations, and truck stops Are attracted to exhaust fumes (formaldehyde), hot engines, and vehicle vibrations

    21. Lovebugs have natural enemies Birds eat larvae Spiders eat adults Humans (vehicles kill adults) Lovebugs are economically important Bees do not visit flowers infested with lovebugs Clog vehicle radiators, damage paint

    22. Authors: J. P. Cuda and N. C. Leppla, IFAS University of Florida Images: Mike Sanford, University of Florida Detailed Information on the Lovebug is Available on the Featured Creatures Web Site http: //creatures.ifas.ufl.edu Entomology & Nematology Department Copyright University of Florida 2002 http: //entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu

More Related