Scientists to help connect hermit beetle habitats in Latvia and Lithuania
To support the survival of the protected hermit beetle, Latvia and Lithuania plan to create a cross-border ecological network linking suitable habitats for the species.
The hermit beetle (lapkoku praulgrauzis) is a beetle species protected at the European level. Its survival depends on a very specific type of environment: old, hollow, sun-exposed deciduous trees, which are becoming increasingly rare in actively managed forests.
Such trees are valuable not only to the hermit beetle but also to many other species that require similar conditions — sunlight, tree age, and the hollows that form over decades of a tree's life cycle.
A cross-border approach
To preserve habitats suitable for the beetle and prevent its populations from becoming isolated from one another, Latvia and Lithuania are planning to establish a cross-border ecological network. The goal is to link separate, currently disconnected habitats so that beetle populations in both countries can maintain contact with each other.
This matters because the hermit beetle is not a strong traveler — it has limited ability to move long distances between suitable habitats. As a result, populations confined to isolated groups of trees far from one another face long-term risks.
The initiative involves scientists working to develop solutions that would effectively connect existing and potential habitats on both sides of the Latvian-Lithuanian border, strengthening the species' long-term conservation in the region.
