Only One Place On Earth Now Remains Mosquito-Free As Iceland Records First-Ever Sighting

There are all sorts of things that can ruin a vacation, from missed flights, to food poisoning, and even fights for sun-loungers. Mosquitoes can also cause all kinds of problems, so those looking to escape the noisy pest might choose cooler climes to avoid them. Unfortunately, Iceland might now be off that list as entomologists confirm the presence of mosquitoes on the island.

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Björn Hjaltason, a local resident and insect enthusiast, reported his sighting to a Facebook group called "Insects In Iceland". "At dusk on the evening of October 16, I caught sight of a strange fly on a red wine ribbon," wrote Hjaltason, in a translation of the Facebook post. "I immediately suspected what was going on and quickly collected the fly. It was a female."

Hjaltason – who uses the wine-soaked ribbons to attract and study insects – then found two more. They were sent to Matthías Alfreðsson at the Institute of Natural History, who confirmed that the insects were indeed mosquitos. In fact they were from the Culiseta annulata species, which is known for being cold-tolerant. The mosquitos were found in Kjós, a valley to the southwest of the capital Reykjavík.

Culiseta annulata is one of the most common mosquito species in the British Isles, where it remains active all year round, making it one of the few species around in the cooler seasons of late autumn and early spring. They are particularly prevalent around standing water such as ponds, marshes, or ditches. They are also not fussy about which species they feed on, including humans, birds, and other vertebrates. 

Reports suggest that mosquito species have been found on planes to Iceland previously, but this is the first time that mosquitoes have been reported on land. Iceland has experienced unusually high temperatures this year, with a peak of 26.6°C (79.88°F) recorded at Egilsstaðir Airport in May of this year, the hottest May temperature ever recorded in the country.

In other mosquito news: in China, Aedes mosquitoes have lately been causing an outbreak of the chikungunya virus disease leading to a travel advisory, while a study in the Netherlands revealed that mosquitoes were more attracted to those with a higher blood alcohol level. 

Those wishing to avoid mosquitoes have just one haven left. Time to book a trip to Antarctica.