Bast bark beetle  (Ernoporus tiliae)

Classified as Endangered in Great Britain (3).

This small, brown bark beetle has scales covering the wing cases (elytra), some of which are raised and form rows (2).

Formerly, this species had a mainly western distribution in Britain, but it has also been found in Durham, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Hertfordshire and Surrey. However it has suffered a prolonged decline, and is now found in just five sites, in Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and Norfolk (3). Outside of Britain, this beetle has a wide distribution throughout the Palaearctic region(3).

You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

It typically occurs in broadleaved woodland and seems to prefer old coppiced woodlands that have a continuous supply of lime (3). It has also been recorded from mature parkland habitat (3).

This beetle lives in the bark of recently dead or dying twigs and small boughs of lime trees (genus Tilia), and particularly prefers small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata) (4).

The decline in coppice management of woodlands has contributed to the decline of this beetle, along with the loss of old lime woodlands and the widespread practice of 'tidying up' woodlands, by removing fallen or dying wood (3).

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) lists the bark bast beetle as a priority species; the Species Action Plan that has been produced as a result of this prioritisation aims to maintain the number of sites that are occupied by the species, and increase their size (3). In addition, English Nature has included this beetle in its Species Recovery Programme.

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan for this species is available at UK BAP.

There may be further information about this species available via the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

For more on English Nature's Species Recovery Programme see:
http://www.english-nature.org.uk/science/srp/default.asp