"Mosquitoes in the Land of Ice?"
'Iceland'-a country with 'Ice' in its very name.
For the first time, mosquitoes have been discovered in this 'Land of Ice.'
Could this be due to climate change?
Striped mosquito (Culiseta annulata). The mosquitoes discovered this time include two females and one male, captured by a device installed to catch moths and others. Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) insect specimen collection.
원본보기 아이콘Why Are Mosquitoes There?
According to AFP and the UK Guardian on the 21st (local time),
researchers from the Icelandic Institute of Natural History captured three striped mosquitoes (Culiseta annulata) about 30 kilometers north of Reykjavik, the capital.
There were two females and one male,
and they were caught by a device that lures insects with a string coated in a sugar and wine mixture.
Until now, Iceland, along with Antarctica,
had been known as a 'country without mosquitoes.'
The cold was so harsh that mosquitoes could not survive.
However, this is the first case of mosquitoes being found in a truly natural environment in Iceland.
"Temperatures Are Changing."
Experts believe this may be due to the effects of climate change.
With longer summers and winters that are not as cold as before,
an environment where mosquitoes can survive has emerged.
However, entomologist Matthias Alfredsson at the Institute
noted that the mosquitoes found this time may have entered via ships or containers,
so it is too early to draw conclusions.
He added that "the striped mosquito appears to be a species adapted to cold climates"
"and may have the ability to withstand long, subzero winters."
The average temperature in Iceland has risen four times faster than the global average over the past 30 years. Pixabay
원본보기 아이콘The Arctic's Neighbor Is Warming Fast
The average temperature in Iceland has risen four times faster than the global average over the past 30 years.
Now, there are more days in winter when temperatures stay above freezing.
As a result, insects and fish that could not survive here before are gradually moving northward.
The Icelandic Environment Agency stated
"This is the first officially confirmed case of mosquitoes in Iceland,"
and announced plans to regularly monitor their population and distribution
and to prepare control measures as well.
"When the Earth gets warmer, it's not just people who feel the heat.
Have mosquitoes now booked their 'flight to Northern Europe' too?"
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Reporter Bang Jeil zeilism@asiae.co.kr
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Edit Kim Inwook kiminuki@asiae.co.kr
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