Australians are invading Hawke's Bay - in the form of the Tasmanian grass grub.
Bug expert Ruud Kleinpaste said the bugs took flight about this time of year to mate and said this year was no different, although it may just be a particularly large cluster.
"It happens every year but this is probably a bad year, or a good year if you're a grass grub," he said.
Adult beetles, coloured dark brown or black, fly in large numbers from January to March and are strongly attracted to lights.
Mr Kleinpaste recalled walking across "carpets" of the bugs during the late 80s about March.