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Image: CNN
The take: Iceland just lost its status as one of only two mosquito-free places on Earth. Three insects in a backyard garden mark a climate-driven ecological shift.
What happened: Citizen scientist Björn Hjaltason caught three Culiseta annulata mosquitoes on wine ribbon traps in his garden in Kjós near Reykjavik on 16 October 2025, ending Iceland's millennia-long mosquito-free status.
Why it matters: Iceland's identity included being the land where mosquitoes couldn't survive. That distinction is now historical. Antarctica stands alone as the last mosquito-free continent.
What to watch: Monitoring winter survival through early 2026 to confirm establishment, tracking additional species arrivals via shipping routes, and observing whether Antarctica maintains its status as warming continues.
[Report] CNN covers the species identification, discoverer's reaction, and establishment likelihood. Published 21 Oct 2025
The species Culiseta annulata survives harsh winters by sheltering in human structures like basements and barns, giving it strong odds for permanent establishment.
Hjaltason told Icelandic media he "could tell right away that this was something I had never seen before," then posted on Facebook that "the last fortress has fallen" before hedging with a caveat about waiting for winter survival confirmation.
He suspects the mosquitoes arrived via shipping containers from the nearby industrial port of Grundartangi, noting, "if three of them came straight into my garden, there were probably more."
Iceland shared mosquito-free status with only one other place on Earth: Antarctica. Now, Antarctica's the only buzzless member in the club.
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