Mosquitoes have been detected in Iceland for the first time as the region warms due to climate change.
According to ABC News, the disease-carrying insect was first spotted by insect enthusiast Björn Hjaltason, who posted to facebook about a "strange fly" he spotted on October 16.
The mosquitoes are Culiseta annulata, a cold-tolerant species that live in the Palearctic region, which includes Northern Africa, Europe, and Asia north of the Himalayas.
Iceland was previously one of two regions with climates too cold for mosquitoes to inhabit, according to the World Population Review.
The country's unique climate and ecological conditions previously did not allow for mosquitoes, especially due to the lack of warm, stagnant water that the insects require for breeding.
However, Iceland does have greenery and seasonal temperatures that can sustain insect life, which may have allowed mosquitoes to migrate there as temperatures warmed.
Source: ABC News
