For the first time mosquitoes are detected in Iceland, a possible effect of Global Warming

for the first time mosquitoes were found in Icelandwhich for a long time were one of the few places on Earth free of them, according to research.

Matthias Alfredsson, entomologist at the Icelandic Institute of Natural Sciencessaid they had found each other three mosquitoes, two females and one maleabout 30 kilometers north of the capital, Reykjavík.

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Mosquitoes in Iceland, something unprecedented

“They were all collected from wine ropes (…) intended to attract moths,” the researcher said in an email, referring to a method that involves adding sugar to mulled wine and dipping ropes or strips of cloth into the solution, which are then hung outdoors to attract the insects. They were all of the species Culiseta annulata, they detail.

Iceland, along with Antarctica, was for a long time one of the few places on Earth without a mosquito population.

“It is the first record of mosquitoes occurring in the natural environment in Iceland. Many years ago a single specimen was collected of Aedes nigripes (a species of arctic mosquito) from a plane at Keflavik airport,” Alfredsson said, adding that “unfortunately, that specimen was lost.”

According to the researcher, the presence of mosquitoes could “indicate a recent introduction into the country, possibly via ships or containers.”

He added that the mosquitoes could potentially spread across the island, but that additional monitoring would be needed in spring to determine if it “really becomes established in Iceland.”

Climate change, with rising temperatures, longer summers and milder winters, creates a favorable environment for mosquitoes to thrive.

But Alfredsson stresses that the warmer climate is probably not the reason for the appearance of mosquitoes in Iceland.

“This species seems to be well adapted to cold climates, mainly due to its ability to hibernate as an adult in sheltered places. “This allows them to withstand long, harsh winters when temperatures drop below zero,” he explained.

The species, which is found throughout Europe, “also utilizes diverse breeding habitats, further strengthening its ability to persist in the challenging environment of Iceland.”