Eyed Longhorn Beetle Project

Longhorn beetles are integral members of woodland ecosystems, helping to cycle nutrients from wood back into the environment. The Eyed Longhorn Beetle is closely associated with willow carr or wet woodland. In the UK, the Eyed Longhorn Beetle has been reduced to a single population in a very small, unprotected area of suitable habitat; making this species extremely vulnerable to extinction.

What did the project do? 

A main aim of this project was to survey the known location with historic records, to see if any individuals remain. Additionally, suitable habitat in the surrounding area was surveyed, to determine if there are any additional populations previously unknown to us.

Across the three years of the project, a novel survey technique was trialled that looked at the oviposition scars of the adult females to determine its effectiveness for establishing presence of Eyed Longhorn Beetles.

The adult Eyed Longhorn Beetles are elusive and therefore, difficult to survey. However, the adult females leave behind tell-tale signs of their presence after laying their eggs, in the form of oviposition scars. This allowed surveyors to find evidence of the species in new locations, as well as learn more about the beetle’s ecology.

Following the completion of this project in March 2026, survey results will be used to update species status and to develop a species recovery plan. This will include actions such as working with local landowners/managers to plant host plants, plan habitat management interventions, and expanding available habitat which will connect sites, encouraging colonisation.

How can I still support the Eyed Longhorn Beetle??

Recording schemes are used to log sightings of the Eyed Longhorn Beetles. We encourage you to submit your sightings to i-Record online or via the app.

You might also like to find out more about our other species recovery projects, or consider supporting Buglife’s work to help us continue to save the small things that run the planet!