Nicola Spence, the UK Chief Plant Health Officer states: "An outbreak of the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) in an area of woodland in Kent has been confirmed. It poses no threat to human health but can be a serious pest of the spruce tree species. We are taking swift and robust action to limit the spread of this outbreak as part of our well-established biosecurity protocol used for tree pests and diseases. I encourage anyone who suspects a sighting of the bark beetle to report these to the Forestry Commission on the Tree Alert portal."

Source: Defra in the media 10th December 2018; Image credit: Forestry Commission

For more information see:

CABI Invasive Species Compendium

Forestry Commission contingency plan

UK Government Guidance