They hover around flowers and plant life in hopes of picking up a fine-looking lady. If they don't score after two hours, they back off, staying out of the sun during the warmest parts of the day. They work the scene until about 8 p.m. If they still haven't found the insect of their dreams, they go home and rest up for another go the next day. While the male is buzzing around, females hang out on vegetation or casually saunter through swarms of hovering males. The pair fall to the ground and get it on before flying off, linked in love.
Competition is fierce among male love bugs.
Some will even try to separate a copulating pair. But it all eventually ends in disaster. Once they've mated, love bugs are joined forever. In fact, even after the male has died, the female love bug still drags him along, locked in her embrace. All this knowledge, while perhaps useful on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, doesn't seem to have much practical application.