Culiseta annulata, a common mosquito found in Europe, has adapted to living in colder climates. (iStock)
Iceland, one of the last places on Earth believed to be free of mosquitoes, has now detected the bloodsucking insects in its territory.
Scientists at the Natural Science Institute of Iceland confirmed this week three recent mosquito sightings. The institute shared photos of the insects, saying that a male and two females were found near a garden rope that had been soaked in red wine to attract butterflies in Kjós municipality, north of the capital of Reykjavík.
Though many outside the Nordic island country are used to finding more than a few of the bloodsucking bugs swirling around their bedrooms or kitchen sinks, scientists say the discovery in Iceland suggests that one of the world's last fortresses for mosquito-free living may have fallen -- in a development potentially linked to global warming.
"The recent mosquito sightings in Iceland are likely linked to the effects of climate change," Carla Vieira, a scientist who studies mosquito-borne viruses at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia, said in an email.
"Rising global temperatures and milder winters are creating more favorable conditions for mosquitoes to survive and reproduce in regions that were previously too cold for them," Vieira added.
Iceland experienced record-high temperatures earlier this year, and some have called 2025 one of the warmest years in the island's history.
It's unclear how the mosquitoes got there, but experts say cargo shipping, trade and increased travel could have brought them into Iceland. Scientists at the Natural Science Institute of Iceland captured the insects, analyzed them and determined that they were Culiseta annulata -- a common mosquito found in Europe that has adapted to living in colder climates.
Although Culiseta annulata is fairly widespread in nearby countries, some scientists who study mosquitoes remain skeptical about whether they are in Iceland to stay.
"Even for a cold adapted species, the harsh conditions of Iceland would make it more challenging for it to survive and establish itself locally," Philip Weinstein, a professor in public health at the University of Adelaide, said in an email. However, the mosquitoes could establish a population in the area "if lucky," he said.
Weinstein added that the mosquitoes are "extremely unlikely to act as a disease transmitter," even if they do persist on the island. For that to happen, there would need to be infected animals for the mosquitoes to bite, followed by a "considerable warm period for the virus to develop in the mosquito," he added.
Nevertheless, the discovery set the island's citizen scientists abuzz, with people sharing their own potential sightings on social media.
Vieira agreed that the insects are "unlikely to persist" on the island, saying they need consistently warm temperatures and standing water for breeding.
"However, as the climate continues to warm, the seasonal window suitable for mosquito survival may gradually expand, increasing the likelihood of future sightings or even temporary populations during warmer months," she said.