Gerandryus aetnensis (Rottenberg, 1871) is a rare and localized beetle, previously known only for Maritime Alps and Sicily. In this paper we provide a revision of geonemy, ecology and status of conservation, including a proposal for a new assessment of its extinction risk in the framework of the European saproxylic beetles, based upon several new records from western Alps, northern, central, southern Apennine, and Sicily. Thus, the species is a W-Alpino-Apenninic subendemic saproxylic species, associated to tree hollows in both coniferous and deciduous forests. We also propose to assess G. aetnensis as Vulnerable at global and Italian level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]