For the first time in modern history, mosquitoes have been found in Iceland. Until now, the country was one of the few places in the world without them. Scientists have confirmed that three mosquitoes were discovered near Reykjavík. They belong to a type that can survive cold weather.
Mosquitoes are not uncommon in Scandinavian countries. But their arrival in Iceland is important because it shows how global climate is changing. Iceland used to be too cold for mosquitoes to live there. As temperatures on the island are climbing, living conditions are becoming more suitable for mosquitoes.
Experts believe these mosquitoes may have arrived through shipping or travel. But if Iceland continues to warm, more mosquito species could settle there, including ones that carry diseases, like malaria.
This discovery proves that mosquitoes are already spreading to new areas as global temperatures rise. The presence of tropical insects in Iceland shows that climate change is affecting ecosystems everywhere.
Culiseta annulata, the mosquito that was found in Iceland
Image: Aiwok, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Words
- affect = here: change
- arrival = coming
- confirm = to say that something is true
- discover = find for the first time
- disease = illness
- ecosystem = animals and plants that live together in a certain place
- global = worldwide
- including = also
- malaria = disease in a hot country that is caused by an insect bite
- presence = when something exists
- rise = to go up
- scientist = a person who is trained in science and works in a lab
- settle = here: stay there for a longer time
- species = group of insects that are similar
- spread = to move from one place to another
- suitable = here: the living conditions to survive
- survive = here: stay alive
- uncommon = unusual