Iceland Announces an Unfortunate First: Mosquitoes

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By Amelia Nierenberg, The New York Times. 

Excerpt: Iceland lost the distinction this month of being one of the last places in the world without a confirmed sighting of wild mosquitoes. And their presence was discovered only because of a rope in a garden doused in sugary red wine. ...The question for Icelandic scientists is whether they will be short-lived tourists or the beginning of a new, native population. But either way, mosquito experts say the discovery is a sign of how rapid climate change and globalization are changing Iceland. “We should not be surprised that we see mosquitoes popping up in very strange localities,” said Bart Knols, a Dutch mosquito expert and a founder of MalariaWorld, which gathers and shares malaria research. Iceland has seen a spike in insect life over the past four decades.... Recently, that growth has coincided with the skyrocketing number of international travelers visiting the geographically isolated nation. The torrent of planes, cruise ships and cargo boats gives insects more chances to hitch a ride, Dr. Gislason said. At the same time, climate change has transformed the country. One Icelandic glacier, Okjokull, has completely melted away while some native plants are at risk of extinction as temperatures rise and invasive species arrive.... 

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