Swarms of bugs infested the grounds of the yearly Burning Man Festival on August 19. These unknown insects were not present during almost 30 years of the desert festival. Journalist and university professor, John Curley, said he witnessed the infestation first-hand. Curley, who documented the events during the festival, noted: "So it's not a localized occurrence, it's everywhere. We don't know where they came from, but there are two main theories: One is that all the spring and summer rain has hatched critters that lie dormant, or usually come to life at a different time of year. Or maybe they hitchhiked in on a load of wood from somewhere," according to the Voices of Burning Man Blog.
"They bite," Curley added. "They crawl all over you. They get up and in you."
These bugs apparently do not smell so good either. The green bugs, most likely from the family Pentatomidae commonly found in the United States, emit odors some people find similar to coriander once disturbed. These insects are attracted to light which explains why they are drawn to the festival's beautiful light display, according to Gizmodo.
There are also other bugs identified as Nysius, commonly known as seed bugs. According to entomologist Karl Magnacca, another species present is from the family Miridae.
The party, usually held on the dried lake bed popularly known as "the playa," makes the dancing grounds muddy. The Burners, the participants of the Burning Man festival, say that mud is part of the experience, whereas the bugs are not, Fox News reported.
The festival, which will officially commence on Aug. 30 and run through Sept. 7, might not experience the same level of infestation. Nevada Department of Agriculture state entomologist Jeff Knight said, "A lot of these things last only a week or two." Some people have been bitten by these insects, but there are no major health risks to the more than 70,000 people expected to show up in the coming week, according to USA Today.
