🌅 Iceland Is No Longer Mosquito-Free

SOURCE

Natural Science Institute of Iceland

WHAT TO KNOW

• Mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland for the first time ever, marking a dramatic shift in one of the last places on Earth the insects had yet to infiltrate (along with Antarctica). The bugs were found by a citizen scientist using a method called “wine roping,” in which strings or strips of fabric are dipped in sugar wine to attract insects, typically wine moths. This time, two females and one male mosquito were also discovered on the ropes.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Experts say the discovery underscores the impact of global heating, which has made the region more hospitable for the mosquitoes and has caused a spike of insect life across the country over the past four decades. It’s also a sign the influx of tourism and commercialism that’s coincided with the heating climate is giving the bugs more opportunities to hitch a ride on one of the planes, cruise ships, or cargo boats that now reach the geographically isolated nation. The question now becomes whether the bugs are temporary visitors or the start of a new native population.

CONNECT THE DOTS

• Scientists at the Natural Science Institute of Iceland confirmed the mosquitoes are members of the Culiseta annulata species, which are widespread across Europe, including in Nordic countries and the U.K. The species is large and adapted to cold climates, though it’s not believed to be dangerous to humans as the mosquitoes aren’t known to carry any diseases in the region.