Little black flies, commonly known as love bugs are beginning to take Southern University by storm.
Throughout the day, the harmless creature flies in swarms becoming a nuisance to students walking to class and to motorists who often find their splattered remains on headlights, bumpers and windshields
“I have to wash my car every two days to get them off of my car. The whole car stays clean except the grill and windshield,” said Brandon Johnson, a freshmen environmental engineering major from Baton Rouge.
Scientifically known as Plecia Nearcica, The love bug is actually a fly. May and September are the mating season for the fly in southern states that border the Gulf of Mexico.
” There is a time and place for everything, It is their season.” Said Shenika Phillips, biology major from Monroe.
Their mating procedure is how they get their famous name.
“Every species in the universe is used to balance out the ecosystem, When love bugs are mating they are in the process of procreation, and when they die out the eco-system will be off balance,” said Craig Woods, a sophomore from Thibodeaux majoring in Architecture.
Male love bugs court by swarming franticly together waiting for a female to emerge. Once the male finds a mate they dart to the ground and begin reproduction. For adequate reproduction, they must stay in contact for 1.5 to 10 minutes. They continue to fly conjoined end to end for up to three days.
Other male love bugs that are still searching for a mate often attempt to disrupt the reproduction process of the mating love bugs.
Once the female is fertilized she lays her eggs and usually dies within the next 68 hours.
The love bugs lay their eggs in cool damp areas. The most common breeding ground for love bugs is freshly mowed grass, which is present along interstate highways and moist damp areas.
Love bugs are very found of light and light colors.
“They love white, when you wear white tees they are all over you,” said Anthony Mack, a secondary education major from Baton Rouge.
Although nature is unfolding right before our eyes, many students such as Lorenzo Henderson, a freshmen business management major from Shreveport said that love bugs are nothing but trouble.
“They are always around when you don’t want them to be.”
