Warnings are being issued after an Ips typographus was found on Sitka spruce trees in the UK for the first time.

Also known as the eight-toothered spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus is recognised as a ‘serious’ pest of spruce trees in Europe.

The species was first identified in the UK in 2018, but new outbreaks have now been found in the Demarcated Area in Kent and West Sussex.

The pests are known to prefer stressed or dying trees, but under the right conditions have also been found to attack healthy spruces.

This finding of Ips typographus on a number of cut and fallen Sitka spruce trees marks the first time the beetle has been discovered on this species of spruce.

Ips typographus prefer stressed or dying trees, but are known, under the right conditions, to attack healthy trees.

The Forestry Commission is reportedly taking swift action to manage the outbreak, which it says is likely due to a “natural dispersal of the pest from mainland Europe,” and that there is no evidence to suggest a further outbreak.

It is also urging landowners to be vigilant and report any potential sightings of the beetle anywhere in Great Britain using the TreeAlert form.