OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Dytiscus ("little diver") marginalis ("of the border")
Adult Great Diving Beetle (subspecies D. m. marginalis) at Geddington, Northants - August 2011
Length: 27-35mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated
One of the largest and most powerful predators in small ponds - great diving beetles are one of the few insects in the UK capable of regularly tackling vertebrates - they feed on small fish like stickleback and minnows in addition to tadpoles. There are a number of fairly similar Dytiscus diving beetle species in the UK, but this species is the most common.
Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Dytiscidae
Genus: Dytiscus
SUBSPECIES: D. m. marginalis, D. m. czerskii
- Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - A common resident species which is seen in Summer
- Seen in Geddington and several other sites
Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
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