For the first time in history, mosquitoes have been recorded in Iceland – a country that was considered one of the few places on Earth where these insects could not survive. Scientists attribute this to global warming, which is making the climate increasingly favorable for new species. This is stated in the material of The Guardian, writes UNN.
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Matthias Alfredsson, an entomologist at the Icelandic Institute of Natural Sciences, confirmed that three specimens of the species Culiseta annulata – two females and one male – were found in the Kjós region, in the Kíðafell area.
All of them were collected from grape ropes during a collection aimed at attracting moths
The mosquitoes were discovered by scientist Björn Hjaltason, who first published the finding in the Facebook group "Insects in Iceland."
At dusk on October 16, I noticed a strange fly on a red wine ribbon. I immediately suspected what was happening and quickly caught the fly. It was a female
The species Culiseta annulata is known for its cold resistance and ability to survive winter in basements and sheds, so scientists do not rule out that it may establish itself in Iceland.
Previously, the country remained almost the only place on the planet without mosquitoes – next to Antarctica. However, Iceland is warming four times faster than the rest of the Northern Hemisphere: glaciers are melting, and fish species from southern latitudes are already appearing in coastal waters.
Scientists warn: climate change is leading to the expansion of mosquito habitats worldwide. This year, eggs of the Aedes aegypti and Asian tiger mosquitoes – carriers of dengue fever, Zika virus, and other tropical diseases – were found in the UK.