Walt Disney World guests report lovebug infestations in hotel rooms

Walt Disney World guests in Orlando have reported unusual encounters with lovebugs, noting that the insects have entered hotel rooms, covering beds and floors.

Lovebugs are small flies related to mosquitoes and gnats, characterized by slender black bodies and reddish thoraxes. While they are a seasonal nuisance in Central Florida, experts from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences clarify that they are not native to the state, having arrived in 1949.

Dr. Norman Leppla of the University of Florida’s Entomology and Nematology Department debunked the myth that these insects were genetically engineered in a lab to control mosquitoes. He noted that lovebugs feed on pollen and nectar and are active during the day, which differs from the behavior of mosquitoes.