Sawyer Beetle
Prionus coriarius
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prionus_coriarius
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Coleoptera
Family
Cerambycidae
Genus
Prionus
Sawyer Beetle belongs to the family Cerambycidae, order Coleoptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The Sawyer Beetle faces severe population declines due to widespread habitat loss from deforestation and urbanization, which eliminates the mature deciduous forests it requires for breeding. Climate change is altering forest composition and reducing suitable host tree species, while intensive forest management practices remove the dead and dying wood essential for larval development.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Mature deciduous and mixed forests with abundant dead and decaying hardwood trees, particularly oak, beech, and other broadleaf species. Larvae develop in rotting wood and root systems of dying or recently dead trees in established forest ecosystems.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The Sawyer Beetle faces severe population declines due to widespread habitat loss from deforestation and urbanization, which eliminates the mature deciduous forests it requires for breeding. Climate change is altering forest composition and reducing suitable host tree species, while intensive forest management practices remove the dead and dying wood essential for larval development.
Climate change altering forest composition
Habitat loss and fragmentation from deforestation
Intensive forest management removing dead wood
Urbanization and agricultural expansion
Loss of mature host tree species
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (CR).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
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
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Sawyer Beetle (Prionus coriarius). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/sawyer-beetle