After Hundreds of Years, Mosquitoes Suddenly Appear in Iceland
For centuries, Iceland has been known as one of the few places in the world never visited by mosquitoes. However, that unique status came to an end in October 2025 after an insect enthusiast found three mosquitoes in a garden in the Kjós area, near Reykjavík.
The discovery was made by Björn Hjaltason on 16 October 2025. While checking a simple insect trap in his back garden, he spotted an insect that looked like a fly perched on a rope that had previously been soaked in red wine to attract moths and other insects.
Hjaltason suspected the insect was a mosquito and captured it. Shortly afterwards, two more were found. The three specimens were then handed over to the Natural Science Institute of Iceland for examination.
Entomologist Matthías Alfreðsson identified all three as Culiseta annulata, a mosquito species known for its ability to survive in cold conditions and widely found in northern Europe. The finding became the first confirmation of the presence of mosquitoes in Iceland.
Iceland has long had conditions that actually provide many potential habitats for mosquitoes, from lakes, wetlands and rivers to sheltered valleys. However, environmental conditions and seasonal patterns that were previously considered unsupportive of the mosquito life cycle kept the country an exception among northern-climate nations.
The species Culiseta annulata itself has the ability to adapt to low temperatures. This mosquito can survive the winter by sheltering in places such as basements, barns and outbuildings.
Even so, tourists need not imagine that Iceland will soon turn into a tropical destination swarming with mosquitoes. To date, scientists have not confirmed whether the three insects found are part of an established, breeding mosquito population in Iceland.
The discovery came amid record temperatures. The emergence of the mosquitoes occurred as Iceland was experiencing quite striking climate change.
According to an official assessment by the Icelandic Meteorological Office, 2025 was the warmest year in Iceland since instrumental records began. The national average temperature reached 5.2°C, around 1.1°C higher than the 1991–2020 average.
Four of the five warmest years in Iceland’s records have now occurred since the start of the 21st century. 2025 also saw a number of seasonal and monthly records, including the warmest spring ever recorded nationally. On 16 August, the temperature even reached 29.8°C at Egilsstaðir Airport.
In its long-term climate assessment, the meteorological office also noted a significant warming trend since around 1980, at a rate of about 0.47°C per decade.
Nevertheless, scientists are cautious about directly concluding that the mosquito discovery was caused by climate change. Warmer temperatures may be one factor altering environmental conditions, but further research is needed to confirm a causal link.