Recently, as the weather warms up, South Korea has once again been invaded by a small flying insect known as the “love bug”, although the name of this insect sounds pleasant, the air is completely devoid of any romantic atmosphere.
The South Korean Environmental Ministry stated on Friday that the government has dispatched dozens of workers to Gwiryongsan Mountain in the western capital to deal with the “extremely severe insect disaster”.
Earlier this week, videos on social media showed that the once scenic mountain trails had turned into chaotic corridors filled with buzzing noises. In the video, black insects densely covered the entire mountain trail, making the ground invisible, and hikers were covered with love bugs everywhere, creating a quite terrifying scene.
The scientific name of the love bug is “Plecia longiforceps”, generally black in color with a dark red thorax, approximately 5 to 6 millimeters in length. They are named for their habit of reproducing in pairs.
Seoul has recently entered the breeding season of the love bug. The lifespan of the love bug is not long, with males surviving only 3 to 4 days and females around 1 week, after laying a large number of eggs in damp soil, they die. They are commonly found in southeastern China, Taiwan, and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
According to information from the South Korean Ministry of Environment, the love bug was first discovered in South Korea in 2015 and is believed to have been introduced from southern China.
Although the love bug does not transmit diseases or sting people, due to their large numbers, sticking to car windows, houses, restaurants, and subway car walls, they have caused inconvenience to local residents.
The Seoul authorities stated in a public announcement that the love bug is a beneficial insect and advised against using chemical insecticides. They recommend clearing the love bugs from surfaces by spraying water, installing bug zappers and sticky traps around outdoor lighting fixtures, and wearing dark-colored clothing outdoors, as insects are attracted to bright colors and lights.