REYKJAVIK: Mosquitoes have been found in Iceland for the primary time, marking a shocking growth for one of many world’s few mosquito-free places, a researcher advised AFP on Monday (Oct 20).
Three Culiseta annulata mosquitoes had been situated and included two females and one male. They had been discovered about 30 kilometres north of the capital Reykjavik, based on Matthias Alfredsson, an entomologist on the Pure Science Institute of Iceland.
“They had been all collected from wine ropes geared toward attracting moths,” Mr Alfredsson stated in an e mail, referring to a way that makes use of sugar-heated wine absorbed into ropes or strips of cloth to lure bugs.
FIRST RECORD IN NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Together with Antarctica, Iceland has lengthy been one of many few locations on earth with no mosquito inhabitants.
“It’s the first document of mosquitoes occurring within the pure atmosphere in Iceland. A single Aedes nigripes specimen, an arctic mosquito species, was collected a few years in the past from an aeroplane at Keflavik airport,” Mr Alfredsson stated. “Sadly, that specimen is misplaced.”
He stated the most recent discovering may “point out a current introduction to the nation, presumably through ships or containers”. Nonetheless, he famous that additional monitoring in spring can be wanted to find out whether or not the species would unfold or set up a inhabitants.
