For the first time in history, mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland, a country previously considered one of the few places on Earth with a mosquito-free reputation.
According to researcher Matthias Alfredsson, an entomologist at the Natural Science Institute of Iceland, three Culiseta annulata mosquitoes, two females and one male, were recently discovered approximately 30 kilometres north of Reykjavik, the nation’s capital.
“These mosquitoes were captured using wine ropes meant to attract moths,” Alfredsson explained in an email to AFP. The method involves dipping fabric strips in a sweetened wine mixture and hanging them outdoors to lure sugar-seeking insects.
For decades, Iceland and Antarctica were known as the only regions on the planet without a mosquito population. Alfredsson confirmed that this is the first time mosquitoes have been detected in Iceland’s natural environment. He recalled that many years ago, a single Aedes nigripes (Arctic mosquito) was found on a plane at Keflavik Airport, but that specimen has since been lost.
The entomologist suggested that the mosquitoes may have entered Iceland recently, possibly through ships or shipping containers, though further research in the coming spring will be needed to determine whether they can survive and reproduce in the wild.
While climate change has allowed mosquitoes to expand into new regions globally, Alfredsson noted that warming temperatures may not be the key factor in this case.
“The species is already well adapted to cold climates and can survive harsh winters when temperatures drop below freezing,” he said. He added that its ability to breed in diverse environments could help it persist in Iceland’s challenging conditions, marking a potential shift in the island nation’s fragile ecosystem.