Lesser Diving Beetle

Acilius sulcatus

In its Western European range, Acilius sulcatus is reffered to as the Lesser Diving Beetle. These Water Beetles grow to around 20mm in length, and range in color from yellow, to brown, to black.

You will find these little Beetles, unsurprisingly  in bodies of water. They have the ability to fly, so they are not confined to a single source, and they prefer locations that are low in predatory fish. Because why live where you're going to get eaten?

If there are predators around, the Lesser Diving Beetles have a defensive mechanism. They are able to secrete a toxin that drugs their attacker and puts them to sleep! They are also very fast, and are one of the quickest of all the Water Beetles.

Lesser Diving Beetles have one brood each year, either in the spring or in the autumn. Adults in cold climates are able to survive the winter by hanging out in bodies of water that do not freeze.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Europe
Size : Length up to 20mm

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Coleoptera
Family : Dytiscidae -- Genus : Acilius -- Species : A. sulcatus

Image : Commons