Diving Beetles

• Phylulm Arthropoda
• Class Insecta
• Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
• Family Dytiscidae

Other Names

• Predaceous diving beetle
• Larvae are called "tiger larvae"

Larvae Appearance Mouthparts look like large, curved pincers Abdomen may have feathery gills Adult Appearance Brown or black colour Oval bodies Yellow trim Adult Behavior Strong swimmers Dive to the bottom carrying a bubble of air trapped under the wing covers Their back-end drifts higher than the head due to the air bubble

Aquatic Habitat

• Still or quiet water
• Ponds, lakes and slow sections of moving water

Larvae Feeding Type

• Carnivorous
• Predatory on larvae and small fish
• Feed by piercing the prey, injecting digestive juices and then sucking out the contents
• Larvae will attack dead mosquitoes dropped onto the water surface

Adult Behavior

• Carnivorous on mosquito larvae, tadpoles and small fish
• Feed in the same manner as the larvae

Reproduction

• Complete metamorphosis includes egg, larvae, pupae and adult stages
• Pupates in damp soil
• Adults fly between water bodies to mate and lay eggs

Pollution Tolerance

• Not particularly useful as pollution indicators because they breathe air and can relocate by flying