Last week, mosquitoes were detected for the first time in Iceland — one of the few regions in the world where the insect had never been found — as climate change has made the country’s conditions suitable for their survival, according to The Guardian.
Iceland is warming at a rate four times faster than the rest of the Northern Hemisphere. As its glaciers melt, fish species from warmer southern waters, such as mackerel, have already been observed in its seas.
Scientists have long predicted that mosquitoes could one day establish themselves in Iceland, given the abundance of wetlands and lakes that can support their breeding. However, most species are unlikely to survive the country’s harsh winters.
Iceland is warming four times faster than the rest of the Northern Hemisphere.
The three mosquitoes found so far belong to the species Culiseta annulata, which is resilient enough to endure Iceland’s cold climate by taking shelter in basements and barns during winter.
As the Earth continues to warm, mosquito species from tropical and subtropical regions — such as Aedes aegypti and the Asian tiger mosquito — are being found further north, in places like the United Kingdom. Experts warn that this expansion raises the risk of tropical diseases, including dengue fever, the Zika virus, and chikungunya, spreading into regions that were previously free of them.
Source: Guardian
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