The lovebug (Plecia nearctica) is a species of march fly found in parts of Central America and the southeastern United States, especially along the Gulf Coast.

[4] At the time, Hardy reported the distribution of lovebugs to be widespread, but more common in Texas and Louisiana than other Gulf States.

[citation needed] L. A. Hetrick, writing in 1970, found the bug was also widespread in central and northern Florida and described its flights as reaching altitudes of 300 to 450 metres (980 to 1,480 ft) and extending several kilometers over the Gulf.

[2] The lovebug is considered a nuisance by many motorists, especially in the state of Florida, due to its swarming behavior during the species' mating season.

[2] This species' reputation as a public nuisance is due not to any bite or sting (it is incapable of either), but to its slightly acidic body chemistry.

[2] In the past, the acidity of the dead adult body, especially the female's egg masses, often resulted in pits and etches in automotive paint and chrome if not quickly removed.

[2] Urban legend holds that lovebugs are synthetic—the result of a University of Florida genetics experiment gone wrong.

While it often took decades, lovebug flights are no longer present in the huge numbers that once existed simply because their natural controls (mostly fungi) caught up with established populations.

Arthropod predators include spiders, some predatory insects such as earwigs, at least two species of beetle larvae, and centipedes.

[12] Lovebugs typically stay in the pupa stage about 7–9 days before reaching the adult phase, in which they can start reproducing.