Fil de fer
Lymexylon navale
Lymexylon navale, commonly known as the ship-timber beetle or fil de fer, is a wood-boring beetle species with an elongated, cylindrical body typically measuring 10-25mm in length. The adults have a distinctive reddish-brown to dark brown coloration, while their larvae create characteristic tunnels in dead and dying hardwood trees.
25
Countries
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Coleoptera
Family
Lymexylidae
Genus
Lymexylon
Fil de fer belongs to the family Lymexylidae, order Coleoptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
Lymexylon navale, commonly known as the ship-timber beetle or fil de fer, is a wood-boring beetle species with an elongated, cylindrical body typically measuring 10-25mm in length. The adults have a distinctive reddish-brown to dark brown coloration, while their larvae create characteristic tunnels in dead and dying hardwood trees. This species plays a crucial ecological role as a decomposer, helping break down dead wood material in forest ecosystems.
Lymexylon navale, the ship-timber beetle, faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat loss from deforestation and changes in forest management practices that have reduced availability of suitable dead and dying hardwood trees. The species' specialized requirements for specific types of decaying wood, particularly oak and beech, make it extremely vulnerable to modern forestry practices that remove dead timber. Climate change may further threaten remaining populations by altering forest composition and the availability of suitable breeding substrates.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
This species inhabits mature deciduous and mixed forests where it depends on dead or dying hardwood trees, particularly oak, beech, and other broad-leaved species with sufficient wood decay. The beetles require specific moisture and temperature conditions found in partially decomposed wood of fallen logs and standing dead trees in undisturbed forest environments.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Lymexylon navale, the ship-timber beetle, faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat loss from deforestation and changes in forest management practices that have reduced availability of suitable dead and dying hardwood trees. The species' specialized requirements for specific types of decaying wood, particularly oak and beech, make it extremely vulnerable to modern forestry practices that remove dead timber. Climate change may further threaten remaining populations by altering forest composition and the availability of suitable breeding substrates.
Habitat loss and forest management changes
Removal of dead wood and timber from forests
Climate change impacts on forest ecosystems
Decline in suitable host tree species
Fragmentation of remaining suitable habitats
Found in 25 Countries
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). Fil de fer (Lymexylon navale). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/fil-de-fer