US EditionLovebug Swarms Persist Across Seoul and Incheon
SOUTH KOREA, JUL 01 – South Korea is intensifying pest control efforts after lovebug complaints more than doubled to 9,296 last year, with the insects thriving due to urban heat island effects and climate change.
- On June 28, viral videos showed massive swarms of Plecia nearctica covering Mount Gyeyang in Incheon, exceeding 9 million views.
- Experts say climate change and urban heat-island effects since 2022 have driven the surge of lovebugs into Seoul and Gyeonggi areas.
- Visual footage shows dense lovebug swarms covering trails and rest areas, with complaints more than doubling to 9,296 cases, despite their harmless nature.
- Despite over 100 daily complaints and warnings against pesticides, local businesses suffer from inconvenience and sanitation issues caused by the lovebug infestation.
- The 2022 study links climate change to increased lovebug outbreaks in Seoul, suggesting swarms will worsen as rising temperatures drive further expansion.
69 Articles
69 Articles
South Korea faces an invasion of "lovebugs", a species of insects that provoke irritation for the inhabitants of Seoul and Incheon. The recent value of high temperatures, favored by climate change, has led to the rapid expansion of these...
The flies are scientifically known as “Plecia longiforceps” and are called ‘love flies’ because of their characteristic mating habits: females and males fly together. According to scientists, these insects had their natural habitation in China, Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. However, climate change and mainly the rise in temperatures and the development of natural areas near Seoul, have created favorable conditions for their reproductio…
This report is not about the Basel pop band Lovebugs, but about swarms of love beetles in South Korea.
The Independent
Watch as millions of ‘lovebugs’ swarm hikers on South Korean mountain
Millions of “lovebugs” have invaded South Korea, swarming hiking trails and urban areas across the capital. Clouds of the insects, which do not transmit diseases or sting humans, can be seen flocking over the peak of Gyeyang Mountain in Incheon city. Footage shared on Tuesday (1 July) shows hikers swatting away the insects, with workers later seen clearing up the dead bugs dotted around the park. The bugs, officially called Plecia longiforceps, …
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