Great Diving Beetle
Dytiscus marginalis
The adult is an aquatic beetle of weedy ponds, lakes, canals, and slow rivers, where it swims with powerful hind legs and carries an air supply beneath its wing covers. It hunts small aquatic animals and also scavenges carrion, using strong jaws to seize food. Its hard elytra protect the body, and it can release foul defensive chemicals when handled. Although mostly seen in water, adults can fly at night to colonize new ponds.
- Type
- Water / Shell
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- Great Diving Beetle Larva
- ?
- Great Diving Beetle