Iceland: For the first time, mosquitoes have been found in Iceland, a country that until now was one of the few in the world free of the biting insects, alongside Antarctica.
Scientists say the discovery reflects the rapid warming of the country, which is making it increasingly hospitable to species previously unable to survive its harsh climate.
Iceland has been warming at four times the rate of the rest of the northern hemisphere. Rising temperatures have contributed to glacier collapse and the arrival of fish from warmer southern waters, such as mackerel.
Researchers had long predicted that mosquitoes could eventually establish themselves in Iceland, given the presence of suitable breeding sites like marshes and ponds, though many species would struggle to survive the cold.
Matthías Alfreðsson, an entomologist at the Natural Science Institute of Iceland, confirmed the findings. “Three specimens of Culiseta annulata were found in Kiðafell, Kjós- two females and one male. They were collected from wine ropes used to attract moths,” he said. The species is known to be cold-resistant, able to survive Icelandic winters by sheltering in basements and barns.
The mosquitoes were first spotted by citizen scientist Björn Hjaltason, who posted about the discovery in the Facebook group Insects in Iceland. The presence of mosquitoes in Iceland is part of a broader global trend linked to rising temperatures.
Across Europe, new species of mosquitoes are appearing; for example, eggs of the Egyptian mosquito (Aedes aegypti) were found in the UK this year, and the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) has been recorded in Kent. These invasive species are capable of spreading tropical diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and the Zika virus.
