Mosquitoes Make Their Debut in Iceland

This is quite concerning.

For the first time, mosquitoes have been detected in Iceland, a surprising development attributed to rising temperatures that are transforming this once-frigid land into a more welcoming environment for these pesky insects.

This picturesque Scandinavian island was previously one of only two places on the planet where mosquitoes did not exist. Now, only Antarctica holds that distinction.

Citizen scientist Björn Hjaltason was the first to notice them, sharing his find in a Facebook group dedicated to insects in Iceland. He expressed concern, stating that “the last stronghold has fallen” regarding the island’s history of being inhospitable to insects.

“On the evening of October 16, I encountered a peculiar fly perched on a red wine ribbon, which I use to attract moths,” Hjaltason recounted. “I couldn’t believe it and collected the flies right away. It turned out to be female.”

He found three of them in his garden, and speculated that there could be more. After sending the insects to Mathias Alfredsson, an entomologist at the Icelandic Institute of Natural Sciences, it was confirmed they were Chryseta annulata mosquitoes.

There’s some uncertainty about how they reached Iceland, but Hjaltason suspects they may have traveled from Grundartangi, an industrial area where goods often arrive by ship.

Scientists note that despite Iceland’s extreme climate, the country provides suitable habitats for mosquitoes, with ample swamps and ponds for breeding—what a twist! The situation is exacerbated by the fact that Iceland is warming four times faster than other parts of the Northern Hemisphere. This rapid change is causing glaciers to melt and allowing fish from warmer waters to thrive.

Culiseta annulata, the newly identified species, is remarkably cold-tolerant. It can live in various regions, including North Africa and much of Europe, and researchers believe it could endure Iceland’s harsh winters by seeking refuge in buildings.

Hjaltason later reflected that perhaps his initial reactions were a bit overdramatic, suggesting that only time will reveal how well these mosquitoes can adapt and survive through the winter.

Yet, this development raises alarms as climate change fuels the spread of invasive mosquito species, which are known to carry diseases like dengue fever and the Zika virus. Recently, a case of chikungunya virus was reported in Nassau County, New York, marking the state’s first locally transmitted infection.