Overview
- The first recorded mosquitoes in Iceland were three Culiseta annulata found in Kjós in October 2025, and experts say the species could survive there even though permanent establishment is still unclear.
- In a new Science commentary, Amanda M. Koltz and Lauren E. Culler call the sighting a warning and push for an international arthropod monitoring network that includes Indigenous knowledge and coordinates existing efforts.
- The authors note the Arctic is warming about four times faster than the global average, bringing earlier snowmelt, longer summers and more wildfires, while more shipping, tourism and military traffic create new pathways for species to arrive.
- Shifts in insect timing can leave Arctic bird chicks short of food when they hatch because peak insect numbers now come earlier in the season.
- Heavier biting pressure from insects saps energy from reindeer and caribou, and large outbreaks can strip tundra plants and warm soils, which raises risks for permafrost and for communities that rely on stable ground and wildlife.