Iceland Meets Its First Mosquitoes Ever

A country, which famously stood as one of the only places in the entire world safe from mosquitoes, has finally seen them appear this month. We are talking about Iceland. The country's freezing winters have always kept mosquitoes out, but that might be shifting now. Scientists recently confirmed they found three mosquitoes in the country for the very first time.

Bjorn Hjaltason, a bug enthusiast, has long used a technique called "wine roping", where fabric soaked in sugared wine attracts insects to his property. But last Thursday, he spotted something unusual and wondered if it might be a mosquito. According to Matthias S. Alfredsson, an entomologist at Iceland’s Natural Science Institute who often teams up with Hjaltason, the curious bug turned out to be a mosquito. After Hjaltason sent Alfredsson a photo, the scientist visited his property and confirmed the finding. Three mosquitoes, a male and two females, were discovered. The Natural Science Institute later verified the discovery in an official statement that Tuesday.

Until now, Iceland was known as one of the planet’s rare safe spots with no mosquitoes at all—a privilege it shared only with Antarctica. Experts say the country’s frigid weather had always kept the insects away, making this new discovery all the more surprising. The discovery was made in Kjós, a scenic glacial valley lying southwest of Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital city. Alfredsson identified them as mosquitoes from the Culiseta annulata species. He told CNN that these species are usually found in parts of Europe and North Africa, though it’s still a mystery how they managed to make their way to Iceland. Experts believe the mosquitoes might have arrived as stowaways on ships or in cargo. Next spring will tell whether they vanish with the cold or start calling Iceland home.

The recent finding highlights how swiftly climate change is reshaping Iceland’s environment and biodiversity. The World Population Review noted that Iceland’s frigid weather and lack of stagnant water had long kept mosquitoes from surviving there. But this year has been different, as the country saw record-breaking temperatures. In May, some regions of Iceland saw temperatures soar to over 18 degrees Fahrenheit higher than what’s typical for that time of year.