The “love insects” invaded Seoul: why they multiply and what the climatic crisis has to do with it

Hundreds of black specimens, coupled in flight, who cover trees, paths, handrails and railings. It seems like a film scene, but it is the reality with which the citizens of Seul and the neighbor Incheon They have been dealing for weeks. Are the so -called “Love insects”, Colloquial name of PLECIA LONGIFORCEPSa species originally from the subtropical areas of Eastern Asia, appeared for the first time in South Korea in 2022 and today at the center of an urban emergency.

A video that has become viral, shot in recent days on Mount Gyeyangsanshows how these insects have literally huge hiking paths. They do not bite, do not transmit diseases, do not cause direct damage to humans, but their growing number is raising increasingly urgent questions. Not only on how to contain them, but above all on the causes that made them so present in the heart of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world.

According to local authorities and experts, the climatic crisis is playing a key role. The increase in temperatures and the so -called effect “urban heat island” – a well -known phenomenon in densely urbanized city as Seoul – have created an ideal microclimate for the reproduction of insects.

But there is also another factor: growing urbanization around mountain areas. Building development changes habitat and reduces the presence of natural predators, altering already fragile ecological balances. A perfect context for the demographic boom of the insects of love, which live only a few days but reproduce very quickly: females can lay hundreds of eggs in the wet soil before dying.

The number of reports by citizens has increased dramatically: according to the data provided by the Municipality, reported on The Korea Heraldthe complaints have passed from 4,418 in 2023 to 9,296 in 2024. On a few days, only over 100 reports arrived at INCHEON.

The authority of the authorities was cautious. Far from drastic approaches, public administrators invited the population not to resort to the indiscriminate use of pesticides, highlighting how insects – albeit annoying – also have an ecological function. The larvae, in fact, contribute to the decomposition of organic matter and the improvement of the soil, while adults participate in pollination.

Despite this, the patience of citizens seems to run out. A survey conducted by the Soul Institute reveals that 86% of residents consider these insects like parasitesclassifying them as third parties in the personal “horror ranking” after cockroaches and bedbugs.

The solutions adopted for the moment are mainly mechanical and preventive: water spraying to remove them from the surfaces, bright traps, adhesive barriers and recommendations to avoid clothing with bright colors, which tend to attract insects. On the scientific front, meanwhile, we work on the most targeted control methods: some research centers are developing biological pesticides based on fungal, capable of selectively affecting larvae without impacting other soil organisms.

Some form of containment also seems to come from nature: some species of urban birds, such as gaces and sparrows, have started to feed insects, helping to slow down the infestations in some areas of the city.

The fact remains that the invasion of “love insects” – as they are also called for their characteristic flight coupling – is a visible symptom of a bigger problem. In all likelihood, these insects will disappear by mid -July, as already happened in the past. But the question remains on how cities will prepare for the next cycle, and future ones.