Acmaeodera degener
Local name: Gelbgefleckter Prachtkäfer
The Gelbgefleckter Prachtkäfer (Acmaeodera degener) is a jewel beetle species characterized by its metallic bronze-green coloration with distinctive yellow spots across its elytra. This wood-boring beetle plays an important ecological role as both a decomposer of dead wood and as prey for insectivorous birds and other arthropods in its ecosystem.
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Coleoptera
Family
Buprestidae
Genus
Acmaeodera
Acmaeodera degener belongs to the family Buprestidae, order Coleoptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
The Gelbgefleckter Prachtkäfer (Acmaeodera degener) is a jewel beetle species characterized by its metallic bronze-green coloration with distinctive yellow spots across its elytra. This wood-boring beetle plays an important ecological role as both a decomposer of dead wood and as prey for insectivorous birds and other arthropods in its ecosystem.
The Gelbgefleckter Prachtkäfer (Acmaeodera degener) is critically endangered primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized dry grassland and steppe environments. The species has an extremely limited range and small population size, making it highly vulnerable to environmental changes and human activities that fragment or destroy its remaining habitat.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Acmaeodera degener inhabits mature deciduous and mixed forests, particularly areas with standing dead trees and fallen logs that serve as breeding sites. The species shows preference for oak and beech woodlands with sufficient dead wood accumulation in both sunny clearings and partially shaded forest edges.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The Gelbgefleckter Prachtkäfer (Acmaeodera degener) is critically endangered primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized dry grassland and steppe environments. The species has an extremely limited range and small population size, making it highly vulnerable to environmental changes and human activities that fragment or destroy its remaining habitat.
Agricultural intensification
Habitat loss and fragmentation
Small population size and genetic bottlenecks
Climate change impacts on dry grassland ecosystems
Urban development
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). Acmaeodera degener (Acmaeodera degener). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/gelbgefleckter-prachtkafer