Students have swatted, slapped and struck lovebugs for the last couple of weeks and will be forced to continue tolerating the little black pests as the season nears its an end in September. Plecia nearctica, more commonly known as lovebugs, descend upon the Gulf Coast twice a year, Department Head of Entomology Tim Schowalter said. Though some students think the bug has no other purpose than mating mid-flight, Schowalter said the larvae stage consume decaying material, notably grass roots, and help the natural decomposition process. “Their natural role is to chew up dead stuff,” Schowalter said. “In chewing up dead stuff, they provide nutrients and space for new plant growth.” Schowalter said the flies find shelter in the ground or in low shrubbery and are attracted to wetter areas, which explains why Hurricane Isaac didn’t wipe out the population. If anything, he said, the rains would increase their longevity and repopulation like it did after storms like Hurricane Rita. Males normally live two or three days, females live up to a week, and the entire season can last more than a month, Schowalter said. “In the city, it’s hotter and drier,” he said.