Mosquitoes bite into Iceland’s history books, discovered for the first time in the country once too cold to host the deadly insects

For the first time in history, mosquitoes have been found in Iceland, a country that was once too cold to host the insects. Scientists believe the discovery is linked to the rapid warming caused by climate change.

 

The first sighting was made by an insect enthusiast, Björn Hjaltason, who noticed what he described as a “strange fly” on October 16. He shared his observation on the Facebook group Insects in Iceland and later confirmed that the insect he found in the garden town of Kjós was a female mosquito.

 

Entomologist Matthías Alfreðsson from the Natural Science Institute of Iceland later confirmed that three mosquitoes — two females and one male — were captured using red wine ropes meant to attract moths. “Three mosquitoes — two females and one male — were caught from red wine ropes used to attract moths,” he said.

 

The mosquitoes were identified as Culiseta annulata, a cold-tolerant species native to the Palearctic region, which covers Northern Africa, Europe, and parts of Asia north of the Himalayas. According to the National Institutes of Health, this is also the most common mosquito species in the U.K.

 

Entomologist Dina Fonseca, who serves as the director of the Center for Vector Biology at Rutgers University, explained that this species has also been introduced to Canada and northern parts of the U.S. She noted that, “C. annulata often lays eggs in artificial containers such as rain barrels, buckets, cisterns, flowerpots, and discarded tires, which facilitate its expansion to new areas.”

 

Iceland was once one of only two regions on Earth — along with Antarctica — that had climates too cold for mosquitoes to survive. The lack of warm, stagnant water and the country’s cold, unique environment made it unsuitable for mosquito breeding. But as temperatures rise, the situation appears to be changing.

 

Experts say Iceland is now warming four times faster than most other parts of the northern hemisphere due to steady flows of warm air from the south. This warming trend is making it easier for species like mosquitoes to survive and breed in the region. As a result, Antarctica is now the only place on Earth without mosquitoes.

 

According to the World Mosquito Program, global warming is helping mosquitoes spread faster and breed more frequently. Warmer climates have already contributed to a rise in diseases such as malaria and dengue in Europe, while these illnesses remain widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.

 

Ryan Carney, an associate professor at the University of South Florida’s Department of Integrative Biology, said global warming is the “perfect storm” for mosquitoes and the diseases they carry. He explained that warmer temperatures create favorable conditions for mosquito breeding, survival, and biting activity.

 

“Warmer weather provides favorable conditions for mosquito habitats — from their breeding grounds to expanding their ranges,” he said. He added that rainfall and humidity also “lead to greater mosquito abundance due to faster development and increased survival, as well as a longer mosquito season and an increase in biting rates.”

 

Carney further explained that “higher temperatures also mean faster development and a higher number of cases of mosquito-borne pathogens,” and warned that heat stress can worsen these diseases in both animals and humans. “Higher temperatures generally make everything worse,” he said.

 

Globally, mosquito-borne illnesses claim over one million lives every year, according to the American Mosquito Control Association.

 

Carney praised the Iceland discovery as an important contribution from citizen scientists. “This is another great example of the value of citizen scientists in detecting invasions of disease-spreading mosquito species in new areas,” he said. He encouraged the public to help by using citizen science apps such as iNaturalist, Mosquito Alert, and NASA’s GLOBE Observer to share sightings and support ongoing mosquito monitoring efforts.