Aulonium trisulcum
Local name: Dermeste à tête noire
Aulonium trisulcum is a small, elongated bark beetle with a distinctive dark head and reddish-brown body, measuring approximately 2-4mm in length. This specialized predatory beetle plays a crucial ecological role by hunting other wood-boring insects, particularly bark beetle larvae, within the subcortical layers of dead and dying trees.
Photo: iNaturalist: (c) Nikolai Vladimirov, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Nikolai Vladimirov
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Coleoptera
Family
Zopheridae
Genus
Aulonium
Aulonium trisulcum belongs to the family Zopheridae, order Coleoptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
Aulonium trisulcum is a small, elongated bark beetle with a distinctive dark head and reddish-brown body, measuring approximately 2-4mm in length. This specialized predatory beetle plays a crucial ecological role by hunting other wood-boring insects, particularly bark beetle larvae, within the subcortical layers of dead and dying trees. As a natural biocontrol agent, it helps regulate populations of forest pest species in temperate woodland ecosystems.
Aulonium trisulcum, a saproxylic beetle species, faces severe population decline primarily due to the loss and degradation of old-growth forest habitats containing the dead wood substrates it requires for survival. The species' highly specialized ecological requirements and limited dispersal ability make it extremely vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and changes in forest management practices that reduce the availability of suitable breeding sites.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
This beetle inhabits the space between bark and wood (subcortical zone) of recently dead or dying deciduous trees, particularly oak, beech, and maple species in mature temperate forests. It requires forests with sufficient dead wood retention and minimal human disturbance to maintain stable populations.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Aulonium trisulcum, a saproxylic beetle species, faces severe population decline primarily due to the loss and degradation of old-growth forest habitats containing the dead wood substrates it requires for survival. The species' highly specialized ecological requirements and limited dispersal ability make it extremely vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and changes in forest management practices that reduce the availability of suitable breeding sites.
Habitat fragmentation
Intensive forest management reducing dead wood availability
Old-growth forest habitat loss
Climate change affecting forest composition
Limited dispersal ability restricting recolonization
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Aulonium trisulcum (Aulonium trisulcum). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/dermeste-a-tete-noire