【Background】The groundnut beetle Caryedon serratus(Olivier) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a bruchid native to Africa. It spread with groundnut cultivation to North America, Asia and Oceania; it is also a major storedproduct pest. In 1992, it was listed on the Catalogue of Quarantine Pests for Import Plants to the People′s Republic of China, but by 2007, it was no longer listed, probably because the species has been found in Yunnan Province. 【Method】The morphological characteristics of C.serratus were described by checking intercepted specimens in the collection of the Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau and by collecting published information on the "Groundnut bruchid of Yunnan". We also determined the potential distribution of C.serratus in China by using the climate matching program CLIMEX3.0. 【Result】The groundnut bruchid reported from Yunnan Province proved to be not C.serratus but C.gongra, which is a similar species but native to China. The two species can be correctly identified using genital morphological characters. The main groundnut producing areas of China are all suitable for C.serratus, thus once the species invades, groundnut is expected to suffer great damage. 【Conclusion and significance】C.serratus is a species of high invasion risk, and it is necessary to relist C.serratus in the Catalogue of Quarantine Pest for Import Plants to the PRC.