First Mosquitoes’ Discovery in Iceland Marks History
(MENAFN) For the first time in recorded history, mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland. Three specimens were found this month in Kjos, a rural valley area located near Hvalfjordur.
This groundbreaking finding was initially shared by insect enthusiast Bjorn Hjaltason in the Facebook group Skordyr a Islandi (Insects in Iceland), with a news agency reporting the news on Monday.
The samples were then submitted to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History for further examination.
Entomologist Matthias Alfredsson confirmed that the specimens were, in fact, mosquitoes.
The species has been identified as Culiseta annulata, a cold-tolerant mosquito commonly found in northern Europe.
“It is very likely that the mosquito is here to stay,” Matthias noted. “It tends to keep itself warm over the winter in shaded places such as cellars and livestock houses.”
While mosquitoes have occasionally arrived in Iceland as stowaways on airplanes, this discovery marks the first time they have been found living on Icelandic soil.
Experts have long speculated that mosquitoes might eventually settle in Iceland, especially after biting midges established themselves there in 2015.
The appearance of mosquitoes further highlights how climate and environmental shifts may be pushing cold-tolerant insect species to expand their range further north than previously observed.
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