ICELAND, Oct 23: For the first time in recorded history, mosquitoes have appeared in Iceland, a country long celebrated for its mosquito free environment. The discovery comes after an unusually long spring heatwave, leaving locals both intrigued and wary.
The tiny invaders were first spotted by Bjorn Hjaltason, an insect enthusiast, who noticed what he initially thought was a “strange fly” on wine soaked ropes in his backyard. Closer inspection revealed three mosquitoes two females and a male. Samples sent to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History confirmed the species as Culiseta annulata, capable of surviving Iceland’s harsh winters.
How these mosquitoes arrived remains uncertain, though Hjaltason speculates they may have hitchhiked from nearby shipping ports. For decades, Iceland’s cold climate and lack of stagnant water kept mosquitoes at bay, making it one of the few mosquito-free regions globally alongside Antarctica.
Scientists warn that the arrival of mosquitoes signals a warming climate, which could disrupt Iceland’s delicate ecosystems. Record temperatures this year, including 26.6°C at Eglisstaðir Airport, have created conditions favorable for their survival.
As global temperatures rise, this historic first underscores the broad ecological impacts of climate change, turning Iceland into the latest region to encounter one of humanity’s most persistent pests.