Until recently, Iceland was the only country in the world to be free of one of the most maddening and dangerous insects: mosquitoes. But if you’re thinking that a second nation has been declared mosquito-free, brace yourself for some bad news. The Nordic island has just confirmed the discovery of mosquitoes in the municipality of Kjós.
“At dusk on the evening of 16 October I noticed a strange-looking fly,” said presumed Icelander Björn Hjaltason, as reported by RÚV English. “I immediately had a suspicion about what it might be and quickly collected the fly. It was a female.”
Between October 16 and 18, Hjaltason found three specimens, and reported the grim discovery in the Facebook group Skordýr á Íslandi, meaning “insects in Iceland.” The Icelandic Institute of Natural History then acknowledged that the bugs represented the first confirmed national occurrence of Culiseta annulata mosquitoes in the land of fire and ice—two females and one male.
Culiseta annulata, also known as banded mosquitoes, are one of the largest mosquito species. The insect is widespread in other Nordic countries, the United Kingdom, and Europe, according to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History’s statement. Unfortunately for Iceland, they can endure cold temperatures and are likely to survive the local environment.
[ Related: Mosquitoes can barely see–but a male’s vision perks up when they hear a female. ]
Matthías Alfreðsson, the Icelandic Institute of Natural History entomologist who confirmed the discovery, tells RÚV English that while mosquitoes have previously hitchhiked to the island in planes, Hjaltason’s discovery marks the first identification of one on Icelandic soil. He adds that banded mosquitoes usually shelter in places like cellars and livestock houses over the winter, and that they’re likely in Iceland for good. According to the institute statement, which remained ambiguous about the mosquito’s permanence, the insect probably arrived via freight transportation.
“The discovery of the mosquito adds to the growing number of new insect species that have been identified in this country in recent years, partly due to a warming climate and increased transportation,” the statement concluded.
Since banded mosquitoes are not vectors for known infections in the region, their bite isn’t dangerous to humans, so at least there is some good news.
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