Horrell: A little bitty teeny weeny thing

George Jones sang a hit song in 1965 called "The Lovebug". I don’t think his song was actually about an insect. But some of the song’s lyrics seemed to indicate so.

The lovebug is a small insect that has a black body with a red head. It is about half of an inch long. The lovebug is native to North America, most notably along the southern Gulf Coast. This insect often swarms twice a year during its breeding seasons in spring and autumn.

I found this one, lonely lovebug Sunday, Sept. 15, in a patch of yellow goldenrod flowers. As a breeze was blowing, I held the goldenrod to stabilize it. The insect was so deliberate in seeking nectar that it didn’t fly as I photographed it. Lovebugs do not bite people.

Horrell is an artist and outdoorsman. He lives in Chaffee. He owns Painted Wren Art Gallery in Cape Girardeau.