Great diving beetle - Dytiscus marginalis (larva)

Doode Bemde, Oud-Heverlee, Belgium (May 2019).
http://www.environmentdata.org/archive/fbaia:2570

For a view of her home pond see:
https://www.jungledragon.com/image/125510

comments (11)

Christine Young

Lion

Awesome capture, Marta! Posted 3 years ago
1. Patomarazul
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks1 we were sitting in the small boardwalk next to this little pond and seeing all the nice critters swimming and hiding in the water under the lilies and then we saw this one. I thought at first that it was a larva from a dragonfly but later I found out it is in fact the baby from a diving beetle. And they can be such fierce predators from so early on! amazing :-) Posted 3 years ago
2. 1. Christine Young
    
    Lion
    
    Sounds lovely! When I collect diving beetle larvae, I have to keep them in isolation because they will eat pretty much everything else that I collect! Posted 3 years ago
  2. 1. Patomarazul
      
      Lion
      
      Chonkers! they are like my Pyrrhura perlata.. he is always hungry and eats whatever you give him almost, except for healthy things like broccoli :-D Posted 3 years ago
    2. 1. Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        Ohhh, those are gorgeous parakeets! I read that they are very friendly, silly, and quite charming! Posted 3 years ago
      2. Patomarazul
        
        Lion
        
        Mine is a little naughty, feisty boy. He chases my female sun conure away and tries to bite her from time to time while she graciously avoids him. He can be very cute and likes to get snuggly on my neck after eating or while I am working (I have the good luck to work remotely in these days!) and he loves to have little fights with my hands. I think he has the soul of a Hells Angel motorbiker in a tiny little body :-D Posted 3 years ago
        
        Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        Haha! What a stinker! Awesome that you can work from home. My husband works remotely a lot now too and only goes into the lab 1-2 times per week. Posted 3 years ago
        
        Patomarazul
        
        Lion
        
        Are you both scientists? that is great! I am molecular cell biologist and have worked in labs for almost 30 years but for the last 2 years I have switched to office work, I am now scientific applications suppport specialist for the company IDT (very reknown for their oligos and with origin and headquarters in Coralville, Iowa). I work of course in the Europe-Middle East-Africa branch. It is very good for me because I can apply my nowledge to advice others and I don't need to pipette anymore, as I was developing thumb arthrosis from it :-D Posted 3 years ago
        
        Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        Yes! He is a molecular biologist/biochemist and works in biotherapeutics for Boehringer Ingelheim. A lot of his work designing molecules is computer-based, but he still has to go in the lab to train people and do some actual labwork, troubleshoot, etc.. But, as he's moved up the ladder, the labwork keeps diminishing. He said that IDT makes their primers and that "IDT can't be beat"! Once the kids graduate homeschool, I'll be looking for a job again...hopefully I won't be too rusty by then! That's still several years away though.
        
        Funny you mention arthrosis because I once said to my husband -- how will I be able to pipette if I work in a lab with older thumbs, lol. Posted 3 years ago, modified 3 years ago
        
        Patomarazul
        
        Lion
        
        Wow! That is very nice and I am happy that he likes using IDT products :-)
        And is also a very nice decision to have stopped for a while to raise your kids, this is once ina lifetime experience that passes way too fast and career can later be picked up back again :-) Posted 3 years ago
        
        Christine Young
        
        Lion
        
        Thanks, I agree! I'm happy that I chose to make the sacrifice to stay home with them. Posted 3 years ago

The Great diving beetle

The great diving beetle, Dytiscus marginalis, is a large aquatic diving beetle native to Europe and northern Asia, and is particularly common in England. The great diving beetle, true to its name, is a rather sizable insect. The larvae can grow up to 60 millimetres (2.4 in) in length, while the adults are generally between 27–35 millimetres.

Info 4 0

Similar species: Beetles

Species identified by Patomarazul

By Patomarazul

Uploaded Dec 9, 2021. Captured May 26, 2019 16:41 in Doode Bemde, Pastoor Tilemansstraat 17, 3051 Oud-Heverlee, Belgium.

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SP-820UZ
f/4.8
10/500s
ISO200
20.6mm