Well, it is that time of year in Florida again: "Love Bug" season! It's something we encounter twice a year.Tonight I was trying to describe them on the phone to my friend Karen, in Michigan, and, well, I defer to "Wikipedia". I think they are much more knowledgeable than I, especially since what I had known of their creation seems to be an "Urban Legend". So, Karen, here is a little of what they say about "Love Bugs":
The love bug (also known as march fly, honeymoon fly, telephone bug, kissybug and double-headed bug) (scientific name Plecia nearctica) is a small flying insect common to the southern United States, especially along the Gulf Coast. During the semi-annual love bug flights or "seasons", the insects are commonly found spattered on the hoods and windshields of automobiles. The body of the love bug is acidic and can affect the paint on vehicles if not washed off. Love bugs seem to be attracted to lighter colored objects (white fence posts are usually blackened with them during the peak season), but can accumulate anywhere.
The love bug was first described in 1940 by D. E. Hardy of Galveston, Texas. At that time, he reported the incidence of love bugs to be widespread, but most common in Texas and Louisiana. By the end of the 20th century, however, the species had spread heavily to all areas bordering the Gulf of Mexico, as well as Georgia, South Carolina, and other parts of Central America. L. A. Hetrick, writing in 1970, found it very widespread in Florida and described its flights as reaching altitudes of 300 m to 450 m and extending several kilometers over the Gulf.
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