Iceland’s typically cold climate and scarcity of stagnant water have long prevented mosquitoes from surviving there, making it one of only two mosquito-free zones in the world — the other being Antarctica.
Iceland, one of the world’s last remaining mosquito-free regions, has recorded its first sighting of mosquitoes following an unusually warm spring.
Insect enthusiast Bjorn Hjaltason made the discovery while observing moths in Kjós, a glacial valley southwest of Reykjavik. Over several nights, Hjaltason found two female mosquitoes and one male, which were later confirmed by the Icelandic Institute of Natural History to be Culiseta annulata — one of the few mosquito species capable of surviving cold winters.
“I could tell right away that this was something I had never seen before,” Hjaltason wrote in a Facebook post, calling the find a sign that “the last fortress seems to have fallen.”
Iceland’s typically cold climate and scarcity of stagnant water have long prevented mosquitoes from surviving there, making it one of only two mosquito-free zones in the world — the other being Antarctica.
But this year’s record-breaking temperatures may have changed that. According to Iceland’s Meteorological Office, the country experienced 10 consecutive days above 20°C (68°F) in May — far exceeding the usual two- to three-day warm spells. The month also saw Iceland’s hottest day on record, with temperatures reaching 26.6°C (79.8°F) at Egilsstaðir Airport.
Entomologist Matthías Alfreðsson, who verified the mosquito species, told CNN that while Culiseta annulata is common in Europe and North Africa, it’s unclear how the insects reached Iceland. “Further monitoring will be required in spring to see if the species has truly become established here,” he said.
Hjaltason suspects the mosquitoes might have arrived via ships or containers at Grundartangi, an industrial area near his home. “If three of them came straight into my garden, there were probably more,” he added.
Experts say the finding underscores the impact of climate change on fragile ecosystems. A June study by the Global Heat Health Information Network, warned that even small temperature shifts could significantly affect regions adapted to cold conditions.
The UN’s climate body has said human activity has “unequivocally” warmed the planet’s atmosphere, oceans, and land — and Iceland’s newest visitors may be one more reminder of that reality.(IE)