Mosquitoes have been found in Iceland for the first time after the country experienced record-breaking heat this spring.
Insect enthusiast Bjorn Hjaltason encountered the mosquitoes over several nights last week while using wine-soaked ropes to observe moths, local media reported.
Mr. Hjaltason found two female mosquitoes and one male that were later confirmed to be Culiseta annulata, one of the few species that can successfully survive winter.
Iceland was one of only two mosquito-free havens in the world prior to this discovery, partly due to its cold climate. The only other recorded mosquito-free zone is Antarctica.
The mosquitoes were found in Kjós, a glacial valley southwest of Reykjavik.
Hjaltason shared the news on a local wildlife Facebook page, describing a strange fly on a red wine ribbon. He suspected this was something he had never seen before, stating, the last fortress seems to have fallen.
The insects were sent to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History for identification, where entomologist Matthías Alfreðsson confirmed the discovery.
The species is common across parts of Europe and North Africa, but it remains unclear how they reached Iceland. Alfreðsson noted that Iceland's historically cold climate and lack of stagnant water had previously prevented mosquito breeding.
This year, however, Iceland broke multiple records for high temperatures. The Met Office reported that temperatures exceeded 20°C (68°F) for ten consecutive days, a significant anomaly for May, where the hottest recorded day reached 26.6°C (79.8°F).
Experts warn that shifts like these could have significant impacts on delicate ecosystems that have adapted to cold climates.
As climate change progresses, it remains to be seen whether this species will be able to establish itself fully in Iceland's unique environment. Hjaltason speculated that the specimens could have arrived via shipping routes, suggesting, If three of them came straight into my garden, there were probably more.
