Latest news with #GyeyangMountain
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Science
- The Independent
The insect that's making a community's lives a misery
Swarms of "lovebugs" (Plecia nearctica) have descended upon South Korea, causing widespread public complaints due to their sheer numbers. These insects, which fly attached while mating, were first detected in Seoul in 2022 and have since proliferated, appearing primarily between late June and early July. While lovebugs pose no health risk, they are a significant nuisance, sticking to car windows, houses, restaurants, and even subway trains. A dramatic surge in their population was seen recently on Gyeyang Mountain, where they formed a "thick carpet" and swarmed observation decks. South Korean officials view lovebugs as beneficial insects, aiding pollination, and are using non-chemical methods to manage them, though experts link their increased presence to climate change.
CTV News
01-07-2025
- Science
- CTV News
‘Lovebugs' return in swarms to South Korea and blanket a mountain peak
A woman tries to avoid a swarm of lovebugs on the summit of Mount Gyeyang in Incheon, South Korea, Monday, June 30, 2025. (Im Soon-shuck/Yonhap via AP) SEOUL, South Korea — Swarms of 'lovebugs' are back in South Korea, blanketing a mountain peak, entering houses and sticking to car windows. Flying attached to one another while mating, the insects, known to scientists as Plecia nearctica, are also called united bugs, double-headed bugs or honeymoon flies. Lovebugs were first detected in parts of Seoul in 2022. Now, large groups appear throughout the city and some nearby areas, mainly between late June and early July each year. The insects do not transmit diseases or sting humans, but there have been increasing public complaints about lovebugs sticking to car windows and the walls of houses, restaurants and subway trains. Clouds of lovebugs recently hovered over the peak of Gyeyang Mountain in Incheon city, just west of Seoul. The lovebugs swarmed observation decks as workers constantly shoveled dead insects from the ground, according to videos shown on local TV stations. 'Compared with the past two years, the number of lovebugs sharply surged last weekend at the mountain,' Gyeyang district official Wang Hyeon-jeong said Tuesday. Authorities do not know why the mountain has seen more lovebugs than usual this summer, she added. The 395-metre (1,295-feet) mountain provides the type of hot, humid weather conditions in which lovebugs typically thrive, the Environment Ministry said, possibly leading to the insect population surge. In Seoul and other areas, it is not yet clear whether there have been more lovebugs than in previous years. The ministry said it will review the seriousness of this year's case after the insects disappear, likely by mid-July. South Korean officials view lovebugs as beneficial insects, saying they help pollinate flowers as their larvae convert plant materials into organic components. Officials are avoiding chemical pesticides by using sticky pads and spraying water to cope with the large insect population. Many experts say the flow of lovebugs to South Korea, likely from China, is associated with the country's warming temperature and is linked to climate change. Hyung-jin Kim, The Associated Press
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Science
- The Independent
'Lovebugs' return in swarms to South Korea and blanket a mountain peak
Swarms of 'lovebugs' are back in South Korea, blanketing a mountain peak, entering houses and sticking to car windows. Flying attached to one another while mating, the insects, known to scientists as Plecia nearctica, are also called united bugs, double-headed bugs or honeymoon flies. Lovebugs were first detected in parts of Seoul in 2022. Now, large groups appear throughout the city and some nearby areas, mainly between late June and early July each year. The insects do not transmit diseases or sting humans, but there have been increasing public complaints about lovebugs sticking to car windows and the walls of houses, restaurants and subway trains. Clouds of lovebugs recently hovered over the peak of Gyeyang Mountain in Incheon city, just west of Seoul. The lovebugs swarmed observation decks as workers constantly shoveled dead insects from the ground, according to videos shown on local TV stations. 'Compared with the past two years, the number of lovebugs sharply surged last weekend at the mountain,' Gyeyang district official Wang Hyeon-jeong said Tuesday. Authorities do not know why the mountain has seen more lovebugs than usual this summer, she added. The 395-meter (1,295-feet) mountain provides the type of hot, humid weather conditions in which lovebugs typically thrive, the Environment Ministry said, possibly leading to the insect population surge. In Seoul and other areas, it is not yet clear whether there have been more lovebugs than in previous years. The ministry said it will review the seriousness of this year's case after the insects disappear, likely by mid-July. South Korean officials view lovebugs as beneficial insects, saying they help pollinate flowers as their larvae convert plant materials into organic components. Officials are avoiding chemical pesticides by using sticky pads and spraying water to cope with the large insect population. Many experts say the flow of lovebugs to South Korea, likely from China, is associated with the country's warming temperature and is linked to climate change.
