South Korea's capital Seoul is currently facing a state-wide pest invation. Small black bugs also known as 'lovebugs' have invaded in various parts of South Korea in millions of numbers. Formally called plecia longiforceps, these bugs are called lovebugs because of their mating behaviour. These bugs fly in pairs attached to each other.
Several neighborhoods in and around Seoul have been overrun by swarms of lovebugs. Even though these insects are harmless because they don't bite or carry illness, people's tolerance has been tested due to the annoyance of these swarms of bugs. Various images and videos of people annoyed by these bugs are pouring on the Internet.
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The video shows hikers trying to get rid of the bugs.
In another post, bugs can be seen covering the mountain places. The post reads, "Residents in and around the South Korean capital #Seoul are complaining about swarms of black insects dubbed "lovebugs",formally Plecia longiforceps, covering hiking trails and ambushing people due to rising temperatures."
Another post reads, "Lovebugs are really a thing in my neighborhood these days, and it's much worse in a mountain. Is nature sending Koreans, facing a population crisis, a message?"
The Guardian reported that the condition is such that footage from Gyeyangsan mountain in Incheon, west of Seoul, shows hiking trails and observation decks carpeted black with these bugs.
These bugs are more common in parts of China, Taiwan, and Japan, and are believed to have arrived in South Korea as a result of changing climate. Experts told the newspaper that climate change, urban developments around mountains, and rising temperatures have created ideal conditions for the expansion of these bugs to Seoul, which is infamous for its urban heat-island effect.
