Mosquitoes Discovered in Iceland for the First Time After Record Heat

For the first time in recorded history, mosquitoes have been found in Iceland — a discovery that scientists say could signal the effects of a rapidly warming climate.

Long considered one of only two mosquito-free regions on Earth, alongside Antarctica, Iceland’s isolation and cold temperatures have historically kept the insects at bay. However, as temperatures rise, species like mosquitoes are now appearing in new territories previously too harsh for their survival.

Three mosquitoes of the Culiseta annulata species were discovered this month in Kiðafell, Kjós, about 30 kilometers north of Reykjavík, according to the Natural Science Institute of Iceland. The insects were first identified by amateur naturalist Björn Hjaltason, who noticed what he described as a “strange fly” caught on a red wine ribbon he had set out to attract moths.

Hjaltason shared his find on a Facebook group for insect enthusiasts before sending the specimens—two females and one male—to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, where experts confirmed they were indeed mosquitoes. “I could tell right away that this was something I had never seen before,” Hjaltason told the newspaper *Morgunblaðið*.

Matthías Alfreðsson, an insect specialist at the institute, confirmed to national broadcaster RÚV that these were the first mosquitoes ever recorded on Icelandic soil. He noted that while a single mosquito had once been found on an aircraft arriving at Keflavík International Airport, this marked the first confirmed case of the insects existing in the island’s natural environment.

Researchers say the discovery highlights how rising temperatures are reshaping ecosystems, allowing species such as mosquitoes to establish themselves in new and unexpected places.