Mosquitoes have been detected in Iceland for the first time after the country experienced record high temperatures this spring.

Insect enthusiast Bjorn Hjaltason noticed the mosquitoes over several nights last week while using wine-soaked ropes to observe moths, local media reported.

He discovered two female mosquitoes and one male, later confirmed as Culiseta annulata, a species capable of surviving harsh winters.

Before this finding, Iceland was one of only two mosquito-free regions in the world, alongside Antarctica, due in part to its cold climate. The insects were found in Kjós, a glacial valley southwest of Reykjavik.

Hjaltason shared pictures of the insects on a local wildlife Facebook page, describing them as "a strange fly on a red wine ribbon," according to Icelandic media. "I could tell right away that this was something I had never seen before," he wrote, adding, "the last fortress seems to have fallen."

He sent the mosquitoes to the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, where entomologist Matthías Alfreðsson confirmed their species.

Alfreðsson told CNN that while Culiseta annulata is common in parts of Europe and North Africa, the method by which they reached Iceland remains unclear. The country’s previously mosquito-free status was attributed to its cold climate and lack of stagnant water suitable for breeding, according to the World Population Review.

This year, Iceland saw multiple record-breaking temperatures. May normally rarely exceeds 20C (68F), but highs above this threshold persisted for 10 consecutive days. The warmest day reached 26.6C (79.8F) at Eglisstaðir Airport.

A June study by the Global Heat Health Information Network highlighted that such climate shifts could significantly affect delicate ecosystems adapted to cold conditions. The UN’s climate body has confirmed human influence has "unequivocally" warmed the atmosphere, oceans, and land, with last year being the hottest on record.

Alfreðsson noted that further monitoring next spring will determine if the mosquito species has "truly become established in Iceland." Hjaltason speculated on their arrival, saying, "One always suspects Grundartangi - it's only about six kilometers from me, and things often arrive with ships and containers, so it's possible something came in that way. But if three of them came straight into my garden, there were probably more."