Question about an insect? love bugs?

Question

one of my teachers told me that love bugs are "man made" I personally don't believe it, but then again I always was lousy in biology.


so are love bugs really "man made"?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Lovebugs.jpg

Answer 1

I personally don't understand what your teacher means. Can you clarify the meaning of "man-made"? Does your teacher mean "genetically engineered in a test tube"??? If that's the case, heck no. Something as complex as an insect can't possibly be "man-made" in that sense. Or does it mean the phenomenon of huge numbers of swarming, mating insects is the fault of human beings and never would have happened in nature (accidentally introduced species, not enough natural predators, perfect climate etc)?

Answer 2

Nope. There are several species that have been given that common name. There are certain periods in Florida when this one species gets plastered all over the front of cars. Usually in what looks like mating pairs. Therefore the name, love bug.

common name: lovebug
scientific name: Plecia nearctica Hardy (Insecta: Diptera: Bibionidae)
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/lovebug.htm

Little to love about Love Bugs
http://www.floridaenvironment.com/programs/fe00508.htm

No, the lady bug beetle is not the love bug. Love bugs are actually Dipterans, flies.

Answer 3

Your teacher is correct. Oftentimes the information in Wikipedia is incorrect, as is the article on the love bug. I have been collecting insects for years. The insect in the picture appears to be one of the hemiptera-plant bugs.

Answer 4

When I moved to north Carolina from Illinois I couldn't figure out why they were calling box elder bugs, love bugs.

Answer 5

A LADY BUG IS A LOVE BUG