MOSQUITOES DISCOVERED IN ICELAND FOR THE FIRST TIME. (PHOTO).

 Mosquitoes discovered in Iceland for the first time

Mosquitoes, long among the planet’s most widespread pests, have now been spotted in Iceland for the first time. Over their 217-million-year history, these insects have colonized nearly every region except Antarctica and select Arctic areas. Rising global temperatures, however, are allowing them to move into previously inhospitable regions. In Kiðafell, Kjós, insect enthusiast Björn Hjaltason discovered one male and two female mosquitoes in his garden and shared the find in the Facebook group Insects in Iceland.

Hjaltason sent the specimens to entomologist Matthías Alfreðsson at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, who identified them as Culiseta annulata, a species native to Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa. This marks the first time mosquitoes have been confirmed on Icelandic soil, leaving Antarctica as the only remaining mosquito-free region. While it is not yet clear if the species has established a permanent population, scientists have long predicted that cold-tolerant mosquitoes like C. annulata could thrive as global temperatures rise. Iceland’s wetlands, ponds, and marshes could provide ideal breeding grounds, and unusually warm winters, such as those experienced during recent Arctic heatwaves, may allow the insects to survive.

The emergence of mosquitoes in Iceland is part of a larger global trend, with species expanding into northern regions as climate change makes them habitable. While C. annulata is not considered a major disease vector, it can transmit Tahyna virus, which causes mild flu-like symptoms. More importantly, the arrival of mosquitoes may have ecological impacts, potentially disrupting local food webs and competing with native insects. Scientists will be watching closely to see whether C. annulata survives Iceland’s winter and if other mosquito species may soon follow.