Mosquitoes have been recorded in Iceland for the first time — insects that were previously thought to be unable to survive in the harsh Arctic climate of the island. This was reported by the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RUV.
An unusual find was made by a resident of the country, Bjorn Hjaltdason. In the evening, he noticed several unfamiliar insects and reported them on social media. Later, he handed over samples to specialists from the Icelandic Institute of Natural History. The analysis conducted confirmed that the researchers indeed encountered mosquitoes.
Entomologist at the institute, Mattias Alfredsson, stated that this is the first recorded case in history of mosquitoes being found in Iceland. According to him, the identified insects belong to the species Culiseta annulata. This species is known for its resistance to low temperatures and is capable of surviving the cold due to special biological mechanisms.
Scientists believe that the mosquitoes may have arrived on the island accidentally — for example, through air currents or on transport coming from Europe. However, researchers do not rule out the possibility that they could establish themselves in local conditions. Alfredsson emphasized that if the mosquitoes do indeed thrive, it would be an important biological event for a region where, due to low temperatures, there has not been a permanent population of such insects.
Now specialists intend to monitor the situation and find out whether the mosquitoes can form a stable population on the island or if their appearance will remain an isolated case.
