Tree-hollows

Guides

Osmoderma
Typical Hermit Beetles, Hermit Beetles
Osmoderma is a genus of scarab beetles in the subfamily Cetoniinae, commonly known as hermit beetles. The genus has a Holarctic distribution, with species found across Europe, parts of Asia, and North America. Several European species, particularly O. eremita and O. barnabita, are of significant conservation concern due to habitat loss and are protected under the EU Habitats Directive. The genus is characterized by its dependence on tree hollows for larval development, making it highly vulnerable to forest management practices that remove dead wood and veteran trees.
saproxylic conservation Habitats-Directive tree-hollows veteran-trees indicator-species umbrella-species wood-mould Cetoniinae Scarabaeidae Holarctic Europe North-America threatened-species dead-wood forest-management citizen-science detection-dogs ex-situ-breeding pollarding traditional-agricultural-landscapes metapopulation habitat-fragmentation old-growth-forest broad-leaved-trees oak lime willow beech orchards hedgerows urban-parks pheromone-monitoring radio-tracking phoretic-mites Scopoli-1763 Le-Peletier-&-Serville-1828 O.-eremita O.-barnabita O.-eremicola hermit-beetle