For the first time in recorded history, mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland. This discovery ends the country’s unique status as one of only two mosquito-free places on Earth.

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The discovery was confirmed just days ago. Scientists are calling it a symbolic ecological milestone. This is directly linked to rapid climate change.

Citizen scientist Björn Hjaltason found three specimens of the cold-resistant species Culiseta annulata near Reykjavik on October 16. He immediately suspected the significance of his find.

“I could tell right away. This was something I had never seen before,” Hjaltason told Icelandic media. He said this after spotting the insects caught on wine ribbon traps in his garden in Kjós.

Climate Change Transforms Last Refuge

Confirmed mosquitoes provide a stark reminder. They show how rapidly warming temperatures are reshaping even the most isolated ecosystems. Iceland is warming at approximately four times the rate of the Northern Hemisphere average. This rapid warming makes its previously inhospitable environment increasingly suitable for species that could not survive there before.

Matthías Alfreðsson is an entomologist at the Natural Science Institute of Iceland. He confirmed the mosquitoes’ identity. He described the discovery as “the first record of mosquitoes occurring in the natural environment in Iceland”. While a single Arctic mosquito specimen was collected from an airplane years ago, it was subsequently lost, making this the first documented case of wild mosquitoes on Icelandic soil.

The species Culiseta annulata is known for its remarkable cold tolerance and ability to survive harsh winters by sheltering in human structures such as basements and barns. This resilience leads scientists to believe the mosquitoes may establish a permanent presence, though monitoring will continue through winter to determine their survival.

Global Pattern of Expanding Ranges

Iceland’s mosquito discovery fits into a broader global trend of insects expanding northward as climate change creates more favorable conditions. The country joins Antarctica as the last remaining mosquito-free region, but scientists warn that warming temperatures worldwide are enabling disease-carrying species to colonize previously uninhabitable areas.

Similar expansions have been documented across Europe, where Asian tiger mosquitoes capable of transmitting dengue, Zika, and chikungunya have recently been detected in the United Kingdom. While the Icelandic species is not known to carry diseases, its successful establishment demonstrates how climate shifts are fundamentally altering insect distribution patterns globally.

Hjaltason, reflecting on his discovery in a Facebook post, initially wrote that “the last fortress has fallen,” though he later acknowledged this is premature until winter survival is confirmed. The insects likely arrived via shipping containers from the nearby industrial port of Grundartangi, he speculated, noting that “if three of them came straight into my garden, there were probably more”.