US EditionIceland Loses Mosquito-Free Status Following Discovery in Kiðafell
- Recently, Iceland reported mosquitoes on its soil for the first time after they were found on a 'wine rope' used to trap moths in Kiðafell, Kjós.
- The country is warming as Iceland heats at four times the rate of the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, allowing mosquitoes to complete their life cycle, experts link to the climate crisis.
- The specimens—two females and one male—were confirmed by Matthías Alfreðsson, entomologist at the Natural Science Institute of Iceland, as Culiseta annulata, which survives winters by sheltering indoors.
- Public-Health authorities warn Iceland's finding adds to a troubling trend of mosquito range expansion, raising serious global public health concerns.
- Scientists had predicted mosquitoes would arrive given Iceland’s marshes and ponds, while UK scientists recently found tropical eggs including the Asian tiger mosquito.
175 Articles
175 Articles
Mosquitoes Appear In Iceland For The First Time Ever
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 Scienc…
Warming in the North Atlantic is occurring four times faster than the global average and is changing everything from oceans to insect life.
Iceland, considered so far one of the few mosquito-free territories in the world, recorded for the first time the confirmed presence of these insects, specifically of the species Culiseta annulata.The finding occurred in the municipality of Kjósarhreppur, southwest of Reykjavik.The discovery was made between 16 and 18 October. An Icelandic citizen, Björn Hjaltason, observed three specimens (two females and one male) while using rope traps soaked…
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