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Lovebug
noun, slang
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An insect, the honeymoon fly (Plecia nearctica, family Biblionidae), native to Central America and the southeastern United States.
- 2 An insect native to subtropical regions of south-eastern China, Taiwan, and Japan (Plecia longiforceps).
"The bugs, officially called Plecia longiforceps, earned their nickname from their distinctive mating behaviour, flying attached as couples during copulation. […] Originally from subtropical regions of south-eastern China, Taiwan and Japan’s Ryukyu islands, the lovebugs were first scientifically identified in South Korea during a major 2022 outbreak."
- 3 A person who is in love; a sweetheart. informal
"His parents flipped their lids when the two lovebugs got hitched. Jonnie couldn't stand the fact that her beautiful young son, gone so long over seas, had now tangled up with an older woman, and even worse, an older divorced woman […]"
Etymology
From love + bug. From their mating behavior, remaining paired up for several days during copulation.
See also for "lovebug"
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