Sensational find Mosquitoes discovered in Iceland for the first time
Mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland for the first time. An amateur entomologist found three of them at the beginning of October and reported the discovery.
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- Mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland for the first time.
- An amateur entomologist found three specimens at the beginning of October and reported the discovery.
- The Natural History Institute confirmed that it was the cold-resistant species Culiseta annulata.
Mosquitoes have been detected in Iceland for the first time. According to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, this is the first confirmed discovery of the insects on Icelandic soil.
As the news platform RÚV reports, amateur entomologist Björn Hjaltason identified three specimens at the beginning of October and shared his discovery in the Facebook group "Insects in Iceland": "On October 16, at dusk, I discovered a strange fly on a red wine ribbon," said Hjaltason - a trap he uses to attract insects. "I immediately suspected what was going on and quickly collected it. It was a female."
Shortly afterwards, he caught two more animals and sent them to the institute, where entomologist Matthías Alfreðsson identified the species as Culiseta annulata.
"The first time mosquitoes have been found in Iceland"
Alfreðsson described the discovery as significant: the cold-resistant species can survive Icelandic winters by hiding in cellars or barns. "This is the first time that mosquitoes have been found in Iceland," he said.
Although specimens have occasionally been discovered on planes landing on the island, they have never been found outdoors.
Experts had previously predicted that mosquitoes could settle in Iceland, especially since the louse fly became permanently established in 2015.