There are two old records, from Kent (1817) and Devon (probably 1824 or 1826). A third record from Sussex (ca 1880) was shown to be erroneous. Benson (1951) concluded the species was 'very doubtfully British' but the circumstances around the Kent and Devon records seem sufficiently convincing that the species should be given the benefit of the doubt, albeit now long Regionally Extinct in Britain.

This species has a wider range than its closer relative linearis, with records north to Perthshire. Assessments against all criteria give no reason to consider it threatened, although there has been a small decline in AOO in recent years.

Records are widely but sparsely distributed from Yorkshire southwards, including in the south-west, with no obvious clustering anywhere. The only putative Scottish record is from Orkney in 1832 and requires verification as an extreme outlier before it can be treated as present in Scotland. Low numbers of recent records make the calculation of EOO values problematic, but a drop from six to four locations in the last two decades (notable against a backdrop of an increase in overall sawfly recording) and an AOO of just 36 km2 leads to a status of Vulnerable under Criterion B2.

Distributed north to Yorkshire although more scarce in the north-west. The foodplant tends to be found in drier habitats than that of the very similar P. xanthostoma. Assessments against all criteria give no reason to consider it threatened, although there has been a moderate decline in AOO in recent years.

No records since the early 19th century, when three specimens were said to have been taken in the vicinity of London. These include the type specimen. Liston & Prous (2014) investigated this record and felt that the evidence supported the fact that it had indeed been taken in London. On balance, the evidence currently suggests it was once present but is now Regionally Extinct in Britain. However, the lack of subsequent British records could be, in part, because Benson (1951) did not include the species in his keys; could examination of specimens of P. niger conceivably reveal more examples?

Records are sparsely but widely distributed around southern England, north to Cheshire, with a single old record from south Wales. The species is still being recorded occasionally to the present but this seems to be a species that is present at low density and/or very unobtrusive. Assessments against all criteria give no reason to consider it threatened, although this is admittedly based on low numbers of records in total.

Benson (1951) said this species was found south-east of the Wash/Severn line although there have been several more recent records in northern England, plus single records in Scotland and Wales. The majority of records remain in the south, however, including a fair number in Devon and Cornwall. It feels likely that this species is probably very overlooked but at present, assessments against all criteria give no reason to consider it threatened.

Andrew Halstead discovered the first British record in Surrey in 2011 (Halstead 2018), with further Surrey records in 2013 and 2021 by the same recorder. It is a fairly distinctive-looking insect and so it feels unlikely to be widely overlooked. All three records were from parks in close proximity to gardens. The species is known to feed on fruit-trees, suggesting likely importation through the horticultural trade; its native range includes central and southern Europe. Following Red List guidelines for a newly colonising species this species is given the status Not Applicable for now, although this will need review in future assessments.

There are old records from the London area, Hampshire, west Cornwall and the last from Marlborough in 1925 (a record on the NBN Atlas from 2000 has been confirmed as erroneous). Whilst dedicated survey effort has not been put into searching for the species, one would expect the species to be detected were it still present, and the gap of nearly a century without a record means that a status of Regionally Extinct has been applied.