Leaf-rolling Weevil (Byctiscus populi)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - beetle (Coleoptera) > Weevil |
| Red List Status: | (Not Relevant) [(not listed)(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Byctiscus populi |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | (not listed) |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | May no longer be declining, but needs careful management. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Not at risk of extinction in England |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Regenerating woodland can produce good supply of foodplant of suitable age. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Medium-high |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | This species is easily found if targeted, but most effort is concentrated at only a few localities, so broader picture unknown. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Make sure all extant populations are managed to provide suitable stands of Aspens at young age, and that these are not cut back during critical time of year (spring and summer).
Action targets: 8. Species recovering
Action type: Habitat management
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Worcestershire woodlands, Balls Wood, Bricket Wood.
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Search former localities to see whether the weevil has declined
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 20 sites
High priority sites:
Comments: Woods in Essex and Sussex yielded many of the older records. We do not know whether it persists in these areas.
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Monitor populations at key localities every five years.
Action targets: 3. National Monitoring Plan agreed and implemented
Action type: Targeted monitoring
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites:
Comments: Monitor population using standard method at five to ten key sites to make sure populations are thriving and habitat management is working.
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.