Overview
- Three specimens, two females and one male, were trapped in Kjós about 30 kilometers north of Reykjavík and confirmed by the Icelandic Institute of Natural History.
- The insects were caught on wine-soaked cords set for moths, and the identification marks the first verified mosquitoes in Iceland’s natural environment.
- Scientists say the cold-adapted species can overwinter in sheltered places, so the finding is not necessarily explained by climate change.
- Monitoring in spring will assess whether the species has established locally, with a nearby port cited by the finder as a possible introduction pathway and a water biologist noting the rapid series of captures.
- The species is considered low risk to humans, though it can bite, and experts highlight greater concern for birds due to potential transmission of avian diseases; previously only a single arctic mosquito was found years ago at Keflavík airport.