Lovebugs return to Korea earlier this year

“Lovebugs — small, black-bodied flies named for the way mated pairs fly while attached to each other — are expected to swarm Korea slightly earlier than last year and for a shorter period due to higher temperatures, the state forest science institute said Monday. The National Institute of Forest Science forecast the outbreak will begin on June 15, two days earlier than last year, and end on June 29, with activity peaking on June 24. Last year's major outbreak lasted from June 17 to July 4 — a longer window that suggests this year's swarms may be denser over a more concentrated period. “It is slightly earlier than last year and the reflection of higher spring temperatures recently,” the agency said in a statement. The insects are cold-blooded, meaning their growth rate varies depending on ambient temperatures. The agency added that the continued warm weather appears to have accelerated their development from larvae to pupae to adults, bringing forward the expected outbreak. The analysis is based on 439 records from the online platforms iNaturalist and Naturing and daily temperatu

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