They drink our blood, buzz annoyingly in our ears, and after their bite an unpleasant itch appears. Meanwhile, there is a place in the world where there is not a single bloodsucker. Where is this paradise island?
Why does nature need mosquitoes?
Summer, a warm evening, you've gone out for a walk with the whole family… What could disturb this idyll? Only pesky insects searching for their victim. In all, there are about 3,500 species of mosquitoes in the world. The larvae develop in an aquatic environment, while adult insects fly in large swarms early in the morning or in the evenings, when it is not yet too hot. Especially many insects gather near lakes and ponds – this is their favorite place.
After a mosquito bite we may get off with a small swelling and itchy skin, but in tropical countries every insect bite can be deadly. Through the blood they spread many dangerous diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever and some forms of encephalitis. One might think: then why does nature need mosquitoes at all? But in reality they form an integral part of our ecosystem, and their disappearance could lead to catastrophe.
Firstly, these insects are food for other animal species – swifts, swallows, bats, frogs. Mosquito larvae are also a favorite delicacy for fish. And that means all these species would face extinction if it weren't for mosquitoes.
Secondly, male mosquitoes feed on flower nectar. They pollinate plants, much like bees. The conclusion: if there were no mosquitoes, some plants would stop bearing fruit. Therefore, despite the fact that we don't much like mosquitoes, we'll have to get used to them. After all, without their existence our ecosystem may face serious and not the most pleasant consequences.
Iceland – the paradise island of Europe with no mosquitoes
Fantastic nature, culture and history make Iceland so attractive. Unique sights, powerful waterfalls, one of the largest glaciers in Europe, active volcanoes. It seems Iceland has everything. But there is one thing you really won't find here – mosquitoes!
There are two theories as to why there are no mosquitoes in Iceland. The first is that these insects cannot adapt to the local oceanic climate. As a rule, mosquitoes lay their eggs in cold weather, and the larvae emerge with the thaw – thus a continuous process of reproduction takes place. However, in Iceland there are three main periods of freezing and thawing over the course of a year, which creates conditions too unstable for the insects to survive. In other words, mosquitoes may simply not have enough time to be "born" at higher temperatures before it gets cold again.
Another theory is that the water and soil in Iceland contain a special chemical composition that mosquitoes simply cannot tolerate. And as a result – they die.
Be that as it may, there are no mosquitoes here, and that is a pleasant fact. The only place in Iceland where you can see a mosquito is the Institute of Natural History. There, in a jar of alcohol, a lone specimen is kept, which in the 1980s, on board an airplane, was caught by Gisli Mar Gislason – a biologist from the local university. Since then this mosquito has been the only representative of its family in this country.
