Overview

• The Mosquito Scotland project, funded by a £1.25 million UKRI/Defra grant, has identified 21 mosquito species in Scotland through over 700 public submissions.
• For the first time, mosquitoes have been confirmed as far north as Shetland, marking the UK's northernmost record of the insect.
• Researchers report mosquito activity year-round, with sightings peaking in spring and summer but continuing into December 2024.
• Mosquitoes are most commonly found in eastern Scotland's pine forests and urban areas like Glasgow, where larvae were discovered in stagnant water.
• While mosquitoes pose no current health threat to humans, researchers are monitoring potential pathogen risks as climate change progresses.