Larger eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus)

Overview

The larger eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) is considered a serious pest on spruce in Europe and has recently been found in the wider environment in England as part of routine plant health surveillance activity.

The beetle is mainly a secondary pest, preferring stressed or weakened trees. However, under the right environmental conditions, beetle numbers can increase enough to result in attacks on living trees.

If left uncontrolled, the beetle, in association with pathogenic fungi (particularly the blue stain fungus Endoconidiophora polonica), has the potential to cause significant damage to Britain’s spruce-based forestry and timber industries.

There is no evidence that Ips typographus is spreading in England; the latest establishments are likely to have come directly from the continent and are not related to the original 2018 finding.

Symptoms

Adult beetles are dormant and hibernate over winter under the bark of trees, logs and leaf litter. They then re-emerge in spring, when the temperature rises above 20°C.

The beetle prefers stressed or weakened trees e.g. windblown, damaged and recently felled spruce trees, where, under the right environmental conditions, beetle numbers can increase. Inspection of trees in this category should be a priority.

Also look for standing individual and groups of dead trees. This arises when the beetles ‘mass attack’ trees, overcoming the trees’ usual defences by a combination of large numbers and blue stain fungus carried by adult beetles. Under the right environmental conditions, this phase can lead to extensive tree deaths.

Adult females lay eggs along a linear gallery system from which larval galleries radiate, becoming wider as the larvae grow. The pattern shows in the bark and in the surface of the wood, and is unique to Ips typographus. This symptom should be looked for in any dead trees, whether standing or fallen.

Please note, the larger eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) can often be confused with the great spruce bark beetle (Dendroctonus micans). A symptom guide Field symptoms guide Ips typographus (PDF, 844 KB, 3 pages) is available to download from this page to assist with identification.

Reporting sightings

Please remain vigilant for signs of Ips typographus. If you think you have spotted signs of this beetle anywhere in Great Britain then please tell us using our Tree Alert form.

Report suspected sightings in Northern Ireland using Treecheck, the all-Ireland tree pest reporting tool.

Plant Health Ips typographus demarcated area notices

To protect the country against this pest, under powers conferred by The Official Controls (Plant Health and Genetically Modified Organisms) (England) Regulations 2019, the Forestry Commission has introduced a Notice to demarcate an area around the confirmed outbreak sites restricting the movement and methods of forest operations.

A revised Notice (PDF, 265 KB, 4 pages) comes into force on the 22 December 2021 taking over from the Notice of the 29 October 2021 (PDF, 262 KB, 3 pages).

The demarcated area remains unchanged and covers parts of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey, City and County of the City of London, Greater London, East Sussex, West Sussex, Kent and Essex within the boundaries shown in the demarcated area (PDF, 1.72 MB, 1 page) and within the Notice (PDF, 265 KB, 4 pages), which also contains a description of the boundary.

The Notice introduces the following conditions:

(i) Restrictions on the felling of susceptible material without prior notification. Landowners must provide notice of their intention to fell relevant material at least 14 days in advance of any felling in the demarcated areas. Felling may only commence once written authorisation is provided the Forestry Commission.

(ii) Restrictions on the killing of trees (either by ring-barking, chemical injection or application, mechanical means, biological control or arboricultural intervention) of the genus Picea A. Dietre over three meters in height, without prior notification. All operations must be agreed in writing by the Forestry Commission.

(iii) Prohibition on susceptible material being left in situ, unless authorised in writing by a plant health inspector.

(iv) Prohibition on the movement of spruce (Picea) material with bark (for example, wood with bark, isolated bark, live trees over 3 metres) that has originated within the demarcated area. Provision is made to enable plant health inspectors to authorise movements and processing of spruce material with bark from the demarcated area where this can be achieved without risking the spread of Ips typographus. Authorisations can be requested with the applications forms Application to receive and process Spruce V1 (PDF, 176 KB, 1 page) and Authorisation to process Spruce V1 (PDF, 198 KB, 4 pages).

Processing (or utilisation as biomass) of spruce material which has originated in the demarcated area may only be undertaken at premises authorised by the Forestry Commission to receive this material.

For authorisation to commence felling, move or process spruce material that has originated in the demarcated area please contact ipstypographus.authorisation@forestrycommisson.gov.uk or use the links to application forms above.

Non-spruce conifer timber that is bark-free is not subject to the same movement restrictions, so it can be moved and processed without need for inspection or authorisation.

For further information Plant Passporting see Register as a professional operator to trade in wood, issue plant passports and apply ISPM15 marking.

Tree Health Pilot scheme

Landowners and managers in the demarcated area (PDF, 1.72 MB, 1 page) may qualify for support to fell and restock woodlands under our new Tree Health Pilot scheme. Visit the webpage to find out more.

Contingency plan

The larger eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) – contingency plan (PDF, 831 KB, 21 pages) sets out the steps that will be taken in the event of an outbreak in Great Britain.

Further information

You can find more-detailed information about this pest on the Forest Research website.