One of the 10 newly discovered insect species in the country last year was identified as a subtropical insect. According to an analysis conducted by government agencies on the status of newly discovered insect species since 2020, the proportion of subtropical insects has been increasing every year. This indicates that the insect ecosystem is also changing due to the effects of climate change.
According to the 'Status of Insect Discoveries in the Country' report released on the 25th by the National Institute of Biological Resources under the Ministry of Environment, the proportion of subtropical insects among newly discovered and unrecorded species has consistently increased: ▲4% (17/425 species) in 2020, ▲4.4% (19/425 species) in 2021, ▲5% (19/380 species) in 2022, ▲6.5% (25/380 species) in 2023, and ▲10.2% (38/370 species) in 2024.
In particular, last year, 38 candidate species of unrecorded insects inhabiting subtropical climates were discovered in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. Among these, 21 species were confirmed for the first time in Jeju Island.
A representative from the National Institute of Biological Resources stated, "Insects are very sensitive to temperature changes and exhibit significant distribution changes based on the environment, and the fact that species migrating northward to the Korean Peninsula are mainly found in Jeju Island, which is on the boundary between subtropical and temperate regions, is interpreted as an effect of climate change."
Seong Min-hwan, the director of the National Institute of Biological Resources, noted, "We will not only continuously observe the emergence of subtropical insects but also identify new indigenous insect species in our country, providing necessary information for future policy development."