Lovebug season happens twice a year, posing no real threat to humans

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Lovebug season is back.

It's the time when the drifting insect duos invade the outdoors twice a year during particularly warm months along the Texas Gulf Coast. They also do a number on your vehicle.

Lovebugs are a species of march fly that are not only found along the coast in the southeastern U.S. but also parts of Central America.

They are characterized by their slow, drifting movement that can be seen as small black snowflakes. Unlike snowflakes, these bugs can ascend and descend.

They also hold the familiar characteristic of attaching to each other for their entire lifespan. Males outlive females whose entire lives last only three to four days.

While you can't go outside without seeing the buggy lovers, they truly don't pose a danger to humans, preferring to feed on plant-based nutrients. As larvae, lovebugs get their food from partially decayed vegetation, which benefits landscapers. As adults, lovebugs feed on nectar.

While they are harmless to the human body, lovebugs can do a great number to vehicles. Since they fly all over the place including roadways, there's a good chance your vehicle's grill will catch a few dead lovebugs.

Due to the highly acidic chemistry of a lovebug's body, their carcasses can make it hard for anyone to clean them off, especially if left for hours.

As for when you can expect them, lovebugs fly for up to five weeks over April and May and over August and September.

Report a typo to the ABC13 staff