https://www.npr.org/2025/10/22/nx-s1-5582748/iceland-mosquitoes-first-time

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Mosquitoes appear in Iceland for the first time The discovery of
three Culiseta annulata mosquitoes was confirmed this week by the
Natural Science Institute of Iceland, which said the mosquitoes
likely arrived by freight.

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Science

Iceland reports the presence of mosquitoes for the first time, as
climate warms

October 22, 20254:50 PM ET

By 

Joe Hernandez

A Culiseta annulata mosquito, seen here in the United Kingdom's
Stodmarsh Nature Reserve, as been found for the first time in
Iceland.

A Culiseta annulata mosquito, seen here in the United Kingdom's
Stodmarsh Nature Reserve, as been found for the first time in
Iceland. Robert Pickett/Alamy hide caption

toggle caption
Robert Pickett/Alamy

Icelanders may be the last group of people on Earth to experience the
pesky bite of a mosquito.

This week, Iceland recorded the presence of the insects within its
borders for the first time in the Nordic nation's history.

Mosquitoes kill more people than any other creature in the world. So
the key is -- try not to get bitten.

Shots - Health News

Mosquito-borne illnesses are rising: Here's how to protect yourself

The discovery of three Culiseta annulata mosquitoes was confirmed
Monday by the Natural Science Institute of Iceland, which said the
mosquitoes likely arrived by freight and appeared to be able to
withstand Iceland's climate. (There have been previous reports of
mosquitoes found in airplanes in Iceland.)

The institute noted that the mosquitoes were one of a number of new
insect species discovered in Iceland in recent years due to a warming
climate and the growth of international transportation.

Insect enthusiast Bjorn Hjaltason said he found the mosquitoes on a
farm in Kjos, just north of Reykjavik, earlier this month.

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"At dusk on the evening of October 16th, I caught sight of a strange
fly on a red wine ribbon," Hjaltason told Icelandic broadcaster RUV.
"I immediately suspected what was going on and quickly collected the
fly. It was a female."

Hjaltason later trapped two more. All three insects were turned over
to authorities for testing, which revealed that they were two female
and one male mosquitoes.

A genetic tweak could prevent mosquitoes from transmitting malaria

Antarctica is now the only place in the world believed to have no
mosquitoes.

Climate change is causing temperatures to rise across the world, and
the Arctic region is warming at more than double the rate of the
global average.

According to the Natural Science Institute of Iceland, the species
Culiseta annulata are large mosquitoes present in Europe and other
Nordic countries that can live in cold weather, usually finding
shelter in outbuildings and basements.

Though they sting, the institute said they don't carry known
infections in those areas. One study from 2017 said Culiseta annulata
are often "regarded as a biting nuisance, rather than a deadly foe."

There are more than 3,000 species of mosquitoes around the world,
some of which can transmit severe and even fatal diseases through
their bites such as malaria, dengue fever and West Nile virus.

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