Recently, a video of a YouTuber catching and cooking the ‘lovebug (Plecia nearctica),’ which has appeared in large numbers and caused discomfort, is gaining attention online.
On the 30th, a video titled ‘I made a burger with tens of millions of lovebugs. I’m really eating it (*shock warning)’ was uploaded to the YouTube channel ‘Lee Chung-gun.’ Within 15 hours of being uploaded, the video surpassed 250,000 views.
The YouTuber, who mainly presents bizarre eating content featuring insects, previously showcased mukbangs of invasive species such as foreign turtles and American bullfrogs.
Before the mukbang, he went to the summit of Gyeonggi-san, which was covered in lovebugs, to start the collection process. He said, ‘The more I open my mouth, the more lovebugs keep entering it. I feel like I might get buried in lovebugs.’
The YouTuber collected a bag full of lovebugs and started cooking. He stated, ‘Last year, I put them on top of burgers, and the year before I made fried rice. Since the quantity caught was very small, I couldn’t make burgers or anything like that, but this year I’ve caught a lot, so I’m going to try making a burger.’
The ingredients included 2 eggs, starch powder, flour for frying, salt, and pepper. The YouTuber expressed his anticipation, saying, ‘The ingredients are very simple, but I’ll add a little oil and season it with pepper and salt, then try it out. It should be a fantastic source of protein.’
He whisked 2 eggs with starch powder and flour for frying, then dipped the collected lovebugs that were stored in the freezer. He began cooking the mixture with oil, pepper, and salt over medium heat.
He remarked, ‘The visual isn’t bad. Since it needs to be cooked cleanly without any uncooked parts, the smell is actually better than I expected. It has a really nutty aroma. It can’t taste bad.’
After cutting the finished lovebug patty to reveal the cross-section, he commented, ‘It feels like a burger. It also feels a bit like a dry burger bun. It’s tasty. There is a unique smell of lovebugs. It smells like what I smelled in the mountains. Since it’s fully cooked, there shouldn’t be any issues. It’s quite bland. I added some salt, but maybe I didn’t add enough. It’s pretty bland.’
He continued, ‘To explain the taste, I kept savoring it. I’m not sure what it feels like. It’s an ambiguous taste that’s hard to describe. It’s incredibly nutty, but other than that, it doesn’t have a particularly impressive flavor.’
He added, ‘It’s not the flavor I was expecting. The taste is completely different when eaten plain versus dipped in sauce. There’s a unique flavor to lovebugs. I guess it has a wood-like taste; it’s quite peculiar. Since lovebugs are not highly toxic and have a very positive impact on the ecosystem, I don’t think they will be harmful to the body.’
Meanwhile, complaints about swarms of lovebugs have been flooding in from locations such as Gyeonggi-san in Incheon and the northwest area of Seoul. According to the city of Seoul, there have been 9,296 reports related to lovebugs, which is more than double the previous year’s 4,418 reports.
The lovebug is a small insect with a red chest and black wings that has appeared in large numbers in recent years due to climate change. While it does not bite or cause direct harm to people, it is classified as a pest that affects living conditions along with the Tongyang mayfly, as both species experience population surges in the summer.
Environmental authorities advised that avoiding bright-colored clothing, which lovebugs are attracted to, and reducing light brightness at night can help alleviate discomfort.