Until recently, Iceland was considered the last Arctic nation without mosquitoes. That changed in October 2025, when insect enthusiast Björn Hjaltason discovered one male and two female specimens of Culiseta annulata in his garden in Kiðafell, Kjós.

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Arthropods (which include mosquitoes and all other insects) make up the most biodiverse animal group in the Arctic, accounting for roughly 90% of all known species near the poles. These tiny invertebrates have a huge influence over the broader ecosystem.

“They pollinate plants, recycle nutrients, regulate populations through parasitism, and sustain foods webs that connect plants, wildlife, and people across the region,” Culler and Koltz explain in their editorial.

But as the Arctic warms four times faster than the rest of the planet, arthropod populations, distributions, and patterns of activity are rapidly changing, too.