Mosquitoes Detected in Iceland for the First Time After Unprecedented Spring Heat

Mosquitoes have been recorded in Iceland for the first time, following an exceptionally warm spring that broke several national temperature records.

Local insect enthusiast Bjorn Hjaltason spotted the mosquitoes over several nights while using wine-soaked ropes to observe moths, according to Icelandic media. He collected two females and one male, later confirmed as Culiseta annulata—a species known for its ability to survive cold winters.

Iceland Loses Its Mosquito-Free Status

Until now, Iceland was one of only two mosquito-free places on Earth, thanks to its consistently cold climate and limited stagnant water. The only remaining mosquito-free region is Antarctica. Hjaltason found the insects in Kjós, a glacial valley southwest of Reykjavik.

He shared photographs of what he described as “a strange fly on a red wine ribbon” on a local wildlife Facebook page before sending the specimens to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History.

“I could tell right away that this was something I had never seen before” he said in the post, which was screenshotted and shared by Iceland’s Morgunblaðið news site, adding “the last fortress seems to have fallen.”

Entomologist Matthías Alfreðsson confirmed the identification.

A Species Common Elsewhere

Culiseta annulata is widespread across parts of Europe and North Africa, though it remains unclear how the species reached Iceland, Alfreðsson told CNN.

Typically, Iceland rarely sees temperatures above 20°C (68°F) in May, and when heatwaves occur they last only a few days. This year, however, that threshold was exceeded for ten consecutive days in several regions. The country also recorded its warmest May day on record, hitting 26.6°C (79.8°F) at Egilsstaðir Airport.

Climate Shifts Threaten Fragile Ecosystems

A recent study by the Global Heat Health Information Network warned that such rapid warming could have “significant” impacts on ecosystems adapted to cold, stable conditions. Last year was the hottest on record globally, and the UN has stated that human activity has “unequivocally” warmed the atmosphere, oceans, and land.

Uncertain Future for Iceland’s Insect Landscape

Further monitoring in spring will determine whether the species has become established in Iceland, Alfreðsson said. Meanwhile, Hjaltason has begun speculating about how the insects might have arrived.

“One always suspects Grundartangi – it’s only about six kilometers from me, and things often arrive with ships and containers, so it’s possible something came in that way,” he told Morgunblaðið.

“But if three of them came straight into my garden, there were probably more.”

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