Mosquitoes Detected in Iceland for First Time, Raising Questions About Arrival
REYKJAVIK, Iceland – Mosquitoes have been identified in Iceland for the first time, marking a important development for the island nation previously โconsidered one of the few places onโค Earth without a mosquito population, alongside Antarctica. The revelation,โค confirmed by researcher Dr. Erlingur Jรณhannesson Alfredsson, was made โคafter a resident reported multiple sightings in a backyard in Iceland.
Bjรถrn Hjaltason, the resident who โspotted the insects, captured specimens and submitted them for โขidentification. Alfredsson confirmed the mosquitoesโฃ are Culiseta annulata, a species adapted to colder climates. While โคa single โ Aedes nigripes specimen – an arctic mosquito species – was collected at Keflavik airport years ago, that specimen has as been lost, making this the first confirmed instance of mosquitoes occurring in Iceland’s natural environment.
The presence of the mosquitoes raisesโฃ questions about how they arrived. Alfredsson suggests aโ recent introduction,perhaps via ships or containers,and โคplans further โฃmonitoring in the spring to assess thier spread. โDespite rising global temperatures linked to climate changeโ creating more favorable conditions for mosquito populations inโข other regions, Alfredsson believes โขthe Culisetaโฃ annulata species’ cold-weatherโ adaptation suggestsโฃ warming temperatures are not the primaryโ explanation for their appearance.
“It is the first record of mosquitoes occurring in the natural environment in Iceland,” Alfredsson said. He added the species’ “diverse breeding habitatsโฆfurther enhances its ability to persist inโค Iceland’s challengingโข environment.”
Iceland, neighboring countries like Norway, โฃScotland, and Greenland all haveโค established mosquito populations.โ The country has been actively working to combat climateโฃ change through initiativesโค like a large โฃcarbon capture facility and the world’s firstโค direct air capture plant. However, the sourceโ of this particular mosquito introductionโค remains โคunder investigation.
