It finally happened—Iceland’s mosquito-free streak is over.
For the first time ever, mosquitoes have been discovered buzzing around the island nation.
It was long known as one of the few places on Earth where people could enjoy summer evenings without swatting the air.
Three Culiseta annulata mosquitoes—two females and one male—were found about 30 kilometers north of Reykjavik.
According to entomologist Matthias Alfredsson from the Natural Science Institute of Iceland.
“They were all collected from wine ropes aimed at attracting moths,” he explained, describing the sugary, wine-soaked traps used to lure insects.
Climate Change Warning
Until now, Iceland shared its mosquito-free bragging rights only with Antarctica.
“It is the first record of mosquitoes occurring in the natural environment in Iceland,” Alfredsson confirmed.
The only previous sighting—a single arctic mosquito found years ago on an airplane—wasn’t even local and has since been lost.
For scientists, the find raises big questions: are these mosquitoes just passing through, or are they here to stay?
If Iceland’s famously cold climate can no longer keep them out, what does that say about our warming world?
For now, locals might want to keep the bug spray handy—just in case summer nights in Reykjavik start to feel a little more… itchy.
