Even when visiting Denmark, Scotland, or Norway, you are likely to encounter at least one mosquito. But what about Iceland? This small Nordic country claims that it has no mosquitoes at all.
Iceland is one of the least densely populated countries in the world located in Europe. Despite its proximity to the Arctic Circle, this small Nordic nation has a relatively mild climate due to its position on the Atlantic volcanic ridge, featuring numerous volcanoes, hot springs, and the Gulf Stream current.
The bloodsucking demons, known as Dracura, are so rare in this chilly island nation that the only mosquito found in Iceland has been preserved in alcohol and displayed at the National Museum of Natural History. In fact, it isn’t even a mosquito with true Icelandic nationality.
Iceland has only 1 mosquito, which is preserved in alcohol and displayed in a museum – (illustrative image).
In 1980, a scientist caught this mosquito on a plane, likely having traveled to the island nation. “I chased it around the cabin until I caught it,” said biologist Gisli Mar Gislason from the University of Iceland to the New York Times. “That was the only mosquito I have ever found in Iceland.“
Iceland asserts that there is no mosquito life in their country. Therefore, visitors will not find this bloodsucking creature anywhere on Icelandic territory, except at the National Museum of Natural History, where the island’s only mosquito is preserved and displayed.
There are several reasons explaining why this country has no mosquitoes.
Low temperatures contribute to this, but it’s not the only factor. In other Arctic countries like Greenland, the temperatures might not differ much from those in Iceland. Yet, Greenland still has mosquitoes. This is because the country has many shallow ponds where female mosquitoes can lay their eggs.
These shallow ponds are the first to warm up when the ice melts. Mosquitoes can lay their eggs there when summer arrives and temperatures temporarily rise. The mosquito eggs hatch into larvae, and then the larvae transform into bloodsucking mosquitoes.
As the summer months near the Arctic do not last long, the life cycle of mosquitoes in Greenland is very short. To survive, they must grow to a large size. Consequently, mosquitoes in Greenland are quite large and aggressive; they can even swarm and take down a young reindeer.
Ecologist Lauren Culler from Dartmouth College stated: “These mosquitoes undergo a faster development process, which means they have fewer days to suck blood. Laboratory studies, field research, and population models show that warming climates allow mosquitoes to survive until they reach maturity.“
But that is the case for Greenland and other Nordic countries. In Iceland, there are simply no shallow ponds for mosquitoes to breed. Iceland’s ecosystem experiences three major freezing and thawing cycles each year.
Because these cycles occur continuously and are very short, mosquitoes simply do not have enough time to mature. Just as temperatures warm up and lakes thaw a little, everything freezes again as the weather cools.
The National Museum of Natural History in Iceland, home to the country’s only mosquito.
However, scientists are concerned that mosquitoes could invade Iceland as the world continues to face the waves of climate change. As the planet warms, mosquitoes will have better breeding opportunities without being hindered by cold weather.
Besides Iceland, there are currently three other places in the world without mosquitoes: the islands of New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Seychelles in the South Pacific. The absence of mosquitoes in these three islands may not depend on climate change.
The reason mosquitoes cannot “migrate” to these islands is likely due to their isolation from the continents. These islands had no livestock before the 18th century (livestock being a food source for mosquitoes).
Today, they are also far removed from human maritime routes, which limits mosquitoes’ chances of traveling to these Pacific islands.
