Dytiscus ("little diver" based on Greek δυτικός, "able to dive" and the diminutive suffix -ίσκος) is a Holarctic genus of predaceous diving beetles that usually live in wetlands and ponds. There are 26 species in this genus distributed in Europe, Asia, North Africa and North and Central America. They are predators that can reduce mosquito larvae.

Dytiscus are large water beetles with a robust, rounded shape and they measure long depending on the exact species involved. The largest, D. latissimus, is among the largest species in the family and its size is only matched by certain Megadytes.

Parasitoids

Eggs of Dytiscus are sometimes parasitized by wasps of the families Eulophidae, Mymaridae and other Chalcidoidea.

Species

Dysticus contains the following species:

  • Dytiscus alaskanus <small>J.Balfour-Browne, 1944</small>
  • Dytiscus avunculus <small>C.Heyden, 1862</small>
  • Dytiscus caraboides <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
  • Dytiscus carolinus <small>Aubé, 1838</small>
  • Dytiscus circumcinctus <small>(Ahrens, 1811)</small>
  • Dytiscus circumflexus <small>Fabricius, 1801</small>
  • Dytiscus cordieri <small>Aubé, 1838</small>
  • Dytiscus dauricus <small>Gebler, 1832</small>
  • Dytiscus delictus <small>(Zaitzev, 1906)</small>
  • Dytiscus dimidiatus <small>Bergsträsser, 1778</small>
  • Dytiscus distantus <small>Feng, 1936</small>
  • Dytiscus fasciventris <small>Say, 1824</small>
  • Dytiscus habilis <small>Say, 1830</small>
  • Dytiscus harrisii <small>Kirby, 1837</small>
  • Dytiscus hatchi <small>Wallis, 1950</small>
  • Dytiscus hybridus <small>Aubé, 1838</small>
  • Dytiscus krausei <small>H.J.Kolbe, 1931</small>
  • Dytiscus lapponicus <small>Gyllenhal, 1808</small>
  • Dytiscus latahensis <small>Wickham, 1931</small>
  • Dytiscus latissimus <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
  • Dytiscus latro <small>Sharp, 1882</small>
  • Dytiscus lavateri <small>Heer, 1847</small>
  • Dytiscus marginalis <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
  • Dytiscus marginicollis <small>LeConte, 1845</small>
  • Dytiscus miocenicus <small>Lewis & Gundersen, 1987</small>
  • Dytiscus mutinensis <small>Branden, 1885</small>
  • Dytiscus persicus <small>Wehncke, 1876</small>
  • Dytiscus pisanus <small>Laporte, 1835</small>
  • Dytiscus semisulcatus <small>(O.F.Müller, 1776)</small>
  • Dytiscus sharpi <small>Wehncke, 1875</small>
  • Dytiscus sinensis <small>Feng, 1935</small>
  • Dytiscus thianschanicus <small>(Gschwendtner, 1923)</small>
  • Dytiscus verticalis <small>Say, 1823</small>
  • Dytiscus zersii <small>Sordelli, 1882</small>

<gallery>

Image:DytiscusEgg.jpg|Eggs and egglaying

Image:DytiscusLarva.jpg|Larva

Image:DytiscusPupa.png|Pupa

Image:DytiscusSpiracles.png|Spiracles under the elytra

Image:DytiscusMale.png|Male with suckers on fore tarsi

Image:DytiscusLifeLyd.png|Life history

</gallery>

References