For the first time in recorded history, mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland — a country previously known as one of the few places on Earth free of the insect.
According to Matthias Alfredsson, an entomologist at the Natural Science Institute of Iceland, three Culiseta annulata mosquitoes — two females and one male — were found about 30 kilometres north of Reykjavik. The insects were caught using “wine ropes,” a moth-attracting method that involves soaking ropes in a sweetened wine solution and hanging them outdoors.
Alfredsson confirmed that this marks the first official record of mosquitoes occurring naturally in Iceland. While a single Aedes nigripes mosquito was once found on an airplane at Keflavik Airport years ago, that specimen was never preserved.
The researcher suggested the mosquitoes may have arrived recently, possibly through ships or shipping containers, and said more monitoring will be needed in spring to determine if they are spreading.
Although rising global temperatures and longer summers often contribute to the spread of mosquitoes, Alfredsson said the discovery may not be linked to climate change. He noted that Culiseta annulata is well adapted to cold weather and can survive harsh Icelandic winters, aided by its diverse breeding habitats that make it resilient in challenging environments.