| Great diving beetle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Bottom view | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Adephaga |
| Family: | Dytiscidae |
| Genus: | Dytiscus |
| Species: | D. marginalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Dytiscus marginalis | |
Thegreat diving beetle (Dytiscus marginalis) is an aquaticdiving beetle native toEurope and northernAsia, and in the UK is common inWales, much ofEngland and southernScotland but less common onchalk and in the far north.[1]The great diving beetle, true to its name, is a rather large insect. The larvae can grow up to 60 millimetres (2.4 in) in length, while the adults are generally 27–35 millimetres (1.1–1.4 in).
These beetles live infresh water, either still or slow-running, and seem to prefer water with vegetation. They are dark-coloured (brown to black) on their back and wing cases (elytra) and yellow on their abdomen andlegs. The male's wing cases are shiny, while those of the female are finely grooved. A voracious predator, this beetle hunts a wide variety of prey including smallfish. The first two pairs of legs of the male are equipped with numerous suction cups, enabling them to obtain a secure grip while mating, and on their prey.[2][3]
They are able fliers, and fly usually at night. They use the reflection of moonlight to locate new water sources. This location method can sometimes cause them to land on wet roads or other hard wet surfaces.
Before they dive, they collect air bubbles in their wing cases which goes through the spiracles. The jaws of a great diving beetle are strong compared to their body size.
The beetle reproduces by laying eggs under water in themesophyll of an aquatic plant leaf. Theincubation period is between 17 and 19 days.[4]
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