Iceland was long known as the only mosquito-free country. That changed in 2025 when mosquitoes were found there for the first time. Here’s what happened.
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The insects were caught by insect enthusiast Björn Hjaltason using red-wine-soaked ropes designed to attract moths, while scientists suspect international transport may have helped mosquitoes reach Iceland.
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The discovery came as scientists continued monitoring whether mosquitoes can establish themselves in Iceland, while a separate malaria outbreak at Frankfurt Airport highlighted how infected mosquitoes can travel aboard aircraft.
For years, Iceland was the only sovereign country in the world without mosquitoes until October 2025, when mosquitoes were discovered on Icelandic soil for the first time.
The discovery was unusual not only because of where it happened but also because of how the insects were found and how they may have reached the island in the first place.
How Iceland’s first mosquitoes were found
On October 16, 2025, insect enthusiast Björn Hjaltason noticed a strange insect on a strip of fabric he had soaked in red wine and hung in his garden in Kjós, southwest of Reykjavík.
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Insect enthusiast Björn Hjaltason discovered Iceland’s first recorded mosquitoes on red-wine-soaked ropes used to attract insects.
The strips, sometimes called wine ropes, were being used to attract moths and other insects. Hjaltason suspected that the unusual insect was a mosquito, so he collected it and sent it for identification.
Scientists at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History confirmed his suspicion. Hjaltason subsequently found two more, bringing the initial discovery to three mosquitoes. They were identified as Culiseta annulata, a species known for tolerating cold conditions.
How did the mosquitoes get to Iceland?
Scientists have not established exactly how they arrived.
However, international freight is considered a likely route. Hjaltason noted that the garden where he found the insects was only about six kilometres from Grundartangi, a major industrial and shipping port.
Scientists suspect international transport could have provided a route for mosquitoes to reach Iceland; the discovery site is close to Grundartangi, a major industrial port.
The suggestion is that the mosquitoes could have arrived as accidental passengers in cargo, shipping containers or other freight rather than flying across the North Atlantic.
That explanation has not been conclusively proven, so it’s more like the insects may have hitched a ride with international trade.
However, the possibility of mosquitoes travelling through international transport is not merely theoretical.
This week, two workers at Frankfurt Airport in Germany died after contracting malaria, while six airport employees in total were infected.
Two Frankfurt Airport workers have died after a rare malaria outbreak believed to be linked to infected mosquitoes arriving on an aircraft.
German health authorities believe the infections were linked to infected Anopheles mosquitoes that may have arrived aboard an aircraft from a malaria-risk area. Mosquito traps have been installed at the airport as authorities investigate.
Why couldn’t mosquitoes survive in Iceland before?
The mosquitoes found in Iceland were identified as Culiseta annulata, a species capable of tolerating cold conditions.
Iceland has plenty of ponds, marshes and other potential mosquito breeding grounds, but its extremely cold climate has historically made it impossible for mosquitoes to live there.
Mosquitoes are cold-blooded and depend heavily on temperature for their development. Iceland’s repeated cycles of freezing and thawing can disrupt their life cycle, making it difficult for eggs and larvae to survive.
But Culiseta annulata is unusually cold-tolerant. Adults can survive winter by sheltering in places such as buildings, cellars and livestock houses.
Scientists have also raised concerns about the effect of rising temperatures. Warmer conditions can extend the period in which mosquitoes are able to feed, reproduce and complete their life cycle.
Scientists later found another mosquito
The story became even more interesting when a second species, Culex pipiens, was discovered in a stable in southern-central Iceland.
According to the United Nations, authorities began efforts to eradicate that population. Meanwhile, no new Culiseta annulata specimens had been found in Iceland in 2026 as of the latest update.
That means scientists are still watching to determine whether mosquitoes can establish a permanent population.
As of 2026, mosquitoes are found on six continents, while Antarctica remains the only continent without them. Iceland used to be the notable mosquito-free country, but that distinction ended in 2025.
Antarctica remains the only continent where mosquitoes are not found.
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