Iceland has long been free of mosquitoes. Cold weather and unstable winters made it hard for them to live there. But this has now changed. Scientists found three mosquitoes of the species Culiseta annulata, which shows a surprising change.
Björn Hjaltason is an insect fan. He saw a strange fly on October 16 while trying to attract moths. He thought it might be a mosquito and collected it. Later, two more mosquitoes were found. Scientists confirmed they were the first mosquitoes seen in the wild in Iceland.
Mosquitoes did come to Iceland before, but they did not survive. This time is different because these mosquitoes were found outside.
Iceland’s cold weather used to stop mosquitoes, but some can survive in colder places. Culiseta annulata can live in buildings during winter. Warmer temperatures are now helping mosquitoes spread to places like Iceland.
In the past, only Antarctica was free of mosquitoes. Now, that is changing too.
