Bug expert terrified to see mosquitoes in Iceland for the first time in history: ‘The last fortress has fallen’
Sucks to be them.
For the first time ever, mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland as warming temperatures make the frozen country more hospitable for the bloodsuckers.
The idyllic Scandinavian isle was previously one of two countries on the planet where mosquitoes had, the Guardian reported. Now, only Antarctica remains.
The skeeters were identified by citizen scientist Bj?rn Hjaltason, who posted a blurb on their encroachment in the Facebook group Insects in Iceland.
Hjaltason warned that “the last fortress has fallen,” referring to Iceland’s history of being completely inhospitable to the insects.
“At dusk on October 16, I caught sight of a strange fly on a red wine ribbon (a trap used to attract moths),” said the freelance fly-catcher, the Iceland Review reported. “I immediately suspected what was going on and quickly collected the fly. It was a female.”
“Three of them came straight into my garden; there were probably more,” added Hjaltason, according to the Iceland Monitor.
Hjaltason subsequently sent the insects to Matthías Alfre?sson, an entomologist at the Natural Science Institute of Iceland, who confirmed that they were mosquitoes of the species Culiseta annulata.
It’s unclear how these plasma-pilferers arrived on the frozen wasteland, although Hjaltason suspects they could’ve come from Grundartangi, an industrial hub where “things often arrive with ships and containers.”
Despite Iceland’s harsh climate, scientists have reportedly noted that the island nation is an ideal habitat for mosquitoes due to the abundance of marshes and ponds where they can breed, the Guardian reported.
This is especially troubling given that Iceland is warming at four times the rate of the rest of the Northern hemisphere, causing glaciers to collapse and fish from warmer climates to increasingly call their waters home.
To make matters worse, Culiseta annulata is notoriously cold resistant, able to thrive in the Palearctic region — an area that encompasses Northern Africa, all of Europe and Asia north of the Himalayas. Scientists suspect that the species could survive the frigid Icelandic winters by hunkering down in barns and basements.
Hjaltason later admitted his Facebook statement may have been an overreaction, as time will tell whether the skeeters will be able to establish themselves and make it through the winter.
Nonetheless, climate change has facilitated the global spread of invasive mosquitoes, which can spread dengue, Zika virus, and other deadly tropical diseases.
Last week, a person living in Nassau County, New York, tested positive for the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus, marking the first locally-acquired case in the State.
