Mosquitoes have been found in Iceland for the first time, ending the country’s status as one of only two places on Earth free from the insects.
Bjorn Hjaltason discovered the mosquitoes over several nights last week while using wine-soaked ropes to observe moths in Kjós, a valley southwest of Reykjavik.
Wine-soaked ropes
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Wine-soaked ropes are a method used in entomology, particularly lepidopterology, to attract and observe nocturnal insects such as moths, often utilising the fermenting sugars and alcohol to lure specimens for study or collection. The recent discovery of mosquitoes in Iceland, where they were previously absent, involved the use of these ropes for moth observation, highlighting an unexpected application in detecting the arrival of new insect species.
Hjaltason found two female mosquitoes and one male. The insects were later identified as Culiseta annulata, a species that can survive winter conditions.
Culiseta annulata mosquitoes discovered in Iceland ending decades without insects
Before the discovery, only Iceland and Antarctica were recorded as mosquito-free zones.
“I could tell right away that this was something I had never seen before,” Hjaltason said in a post on a Facebook page for wildlife, describing “a strange fly on a red wine ribbon”. He added: “The last fortress seems to have fallen.”
Hjaltason sent the specimens to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History for identification. Entomologist Matthías Alfreðsson confirmed they were mosquitoes.
The species are common across parts of Europe and North Africa, but how they reached Iceland remains unclear, reports said citing Alfreðsson.
Iceland’s climate and lack of stagnant water for breeding have prevented mosquitoes from establishing populations, according to the World Population Review.
Record heat brings mosquitoes to Iceland for first time in country’s history
This year, Iceland broke multiple temperature records. The country typically experiences highs above 20C (68F) in May for no more than two to three days, according to its Met Office. This year, that threshold was exceeded for 10 days in a row in different parts of the country.
Iceland recorded its hottest ever day in May, with temperatures reaching 26.6C (79.8F) at Eglisstaðir Airport.
A June study by the Global Heat Health Information Network noted that such shifts could have impacts on ecosystems that have adapted to the cold climate and are sensitive to temperature changes.
Last year was the world’s hottest on record. The UN’s climate body has established that human influence has “unequivocally” warmed the atmosphere, oceans and land.
‘Probably more’ mosquitoes in Iceland, says Hjaltason
Further monitoring will be required in spring to determine if the mosquito species has “truly become established in Iceland”, Alfreðsson said.
Hjaltason has speculated about how the insects arrived.
“One always suspects Grundartangi – it’s only about six kilometres from me, and things often arrive with ships and containers, so it’s possible something came in that way,” he told Morgunblaðið. “But if three of them came straight into my garden, there were probably more.”
