Iceland Confirms First Mosquitoes, Cold-Tolerant Species Found Near Reykjavík

Overview

• Three specimens, two females and one male, were identified as Culiseta annulata about 30 kilometers north of Reykjavík in the Kiðafell/Kjós area.
• The insects were caught on wine-rope moth traps by a local observer and verified by entomologist Matthías Alfreðsson at the Institute of Natural Sciences of Iceland.
• Iceland had been among the last places without mosquitoes, with Antarctica now the remaining mosquito-free region cited in coverage.
• Scientists say a recent introduction via ships or containers is plausible, and note the species can overwinter as adults in sheltered sites.
• Reports place the detection in the context of rapid regional warming, though Alfreðsson emphasizes the species’ inherent cold tolerance.