The government is developing a natural 'fungal pesticide' effective against lovebug (Euxesta stigmatias) larvae.

According to a report by the Kukmin Daily on the 30th, a research team from the National Institute of Biological Resources under the Ministry of Environment is conducting experiments to find insect-pathogenic fungi in the soil that eradicate lovebug larvae.

If this fungus is discovered, the government plans to create it in the form of a pesticide for spraying. This has the advantage of being able to control not only the larvae but also the adult lovebugs.

The environmentally friendly pesticide currently being developed by the Ministry of Environment does not use conventional post-control methods but instead adopts a preventative approach starting from the larval stage.

Additionally, because it is based on natural fungi, it has minimal environmental impact compared to existing chemical insecticides, making it more eco-friendly.

The Ministry of Environment stated, "We plan to gradually apply environmentally friendly pest control technology that can regulate population numbers without excessively impacting the ecosystem."

Moreover, the government confirmed through monitoring that crows, pigeons, sparrows, and spiders recognize lovebugs as food.

In fact, in areas with large outbreaks of lovebugs, such as Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul, the population began to decrease as natural enemies started preying on the lovebugs.

However, the natural population control by predators has limitations that cannot keep pace with the reproductive rate of lovebugs. Therefore, attention is focused on the development of 'eco-friendly pesticides' that target the larvae from the start.

Image source: The so-called 'lovebug', Euxesta stigmatias / News1, Instagram 'kimlark34', reference photo for understanding the article / News1