Photo: Lovebug. Credit: Public domain.
South Korea has its share of summer pests, such as the relentless attack of mosquitoes that rise out of the humid aftermath of a monsoon. But since 2022, an entirely new breed of summer pest has emerged: lovebugs, native to the Gulf Coast region of the United States. Although lovebugs were never previously observed in South Korea, in 2022 the flying insects began appearing in massive swarms nationwide, especially in urban areas.
Lovebugs do not bite or transmit disease, but the size of their swarms makes them a nuisance. Their bizarre appearance makes them especially unsettling: male and female bugs are conjoined at the tail for mating nearly as soon as they hatch, and move and fly in that state for up to several days. The insect’s apparently two-headed look is so unnerving that an urban legend says the bug began as a University of Florida genetics experiment gone wrong.
Two years after lovebugs’ arrival in South Korea, the new summer infestation shows no sign of abating. In 2022, only three districts of Seoul accounted for 98% of lovebug-related complaints; this year, all 25 districts are reporting the insects. Climate change is allowing these subtropical bugs to flourish in areas where they could not live before, and South Korea’s early heat wave in June created ideal conditions for the newly hatched pests.