Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE) recently carried out a desk-top study for Dasos on bark beetles in British Isles. European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) and Great spruce bark beetle (Dendroctonus micans) have been accidentally introduced to the UK and Ireland via international trade.
While these insect species prefer Norway spruce as their main host, no field reports have shown that either of the two bark beetle species has been able to reproduce successfully in Sitka spruce forests. Insect reproduction in a host tree is required before economically important issue could occur. So far, there is no evidence that either of the two bark beetle species would prefer the Sitka spruce nor that they would be able to reproduce in it.
