Why Have Mosquitoes Appeared in Iceland for the First Time?

October 24, 2025 | 11:11 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Iceland is no longer mosquito-free, after three mosquitoes—two females and one male—found in a garden of private residence in the Kjósarhreppur (Kjs) area between October 16 and 18, 2025.

The discovery was revealed by a local resident, Björn Hjaltason, through a post in a Facebook group called Skordýr á Íslandi  (Insects in Iceland). "I could tell right away that this was something I had never seen before," said Hjaltason's post, as quoted from Live Science, October 21, 2025.

An entomologist at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Matthías Alfreðsson, confirmed that the mosquitoes belong to the species Culiseta annulata. Hjaltason then wrote, "The last fortress has fallen," although it has not been confirmed whether these mosquitoes can survive the Icelandic winter.

Iceland has been known as one of the mosquito-free countries, although neighboring countries such as Norway, Scotland, and Greenland have various species of these insects. Scientists speculate that mosquitoes cannot breed in the extreme climate conditions of Iceland.

Gísli Már Gíslason, professor emeritus of limnology at the University of Iceland, said that mosquitoes occasionally brought to Iceland by airplanes have never been able to establish a population. The country has many ponds and marshes suitable for egg-laying. However, the repeated freezing and thawing cycle throughout the year causes the eggs and larvae to die before developing into adult mosquitoes.

Robert Jones, an insect biologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that mosquito larvae need liquid water to develop. "These cycles disrupt development and kill mosquito eggs and larvae before they can emerge as adults, making it much harder for populations to establish," he said.

Climate Change Brings First Mosquitoes to Iceland

Scientists warn that climate change can change Iceland's long-standing record. "Warmer springs and autumns could create longer periods of unfrozen standing water, allowing mosquitoes to establish permanent populations," said Jones.

Immo Hansen, a biology professor at New Mexico State University, echoed this sentiment. "We're currently seeing tropical mosquitoes expanding their range north in the United States," he said. Hansen believes that tropical mosquitoes can survive if winters become warmer.

If mosquitoes eventually manage to establish a population in Iceland, a history similar to the one in Hawaii will repeat itself. Hawaii was once mosquito-free until 1826. The insects eventually entered through ships from Europe and America.

Nevertheless, Jones assesses that the risk of the entry of disease-carrying mosquito species such as Aedes remains low. "Modeling studies suggest that Northern Europe will remain largely unsuitable for dengue transmission even by 2080," he said.

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