What Do Diving Beetles Eat?

Diving beetles are unique species of insects that live most of their lives underwater. But what do these little guys eat? Do they feed in the water or on the ground?

The beetle family is huge; it consists of around 400,000 known species. This makes them one of the largest insect populations in the world.

They are found in different corners of the world but did you know that some of these beetles are known for being able to live underwater?

In this article, we will talk about a species of beetles that are experts in diving underwater for long durations: the predaceous diving beetles.

These beautiful creatures are not just unique; they can also be kept as pets in your aquarium. But how? Let us find out.

What Are Predaceous Diving Beetles?

Predaceous diving beetles (also known simply as diving beetles) are a large group of aquatic beetles from the Dytiscidae family.

As the name suggests, these beetles are found near big lakes and ponds. The diving beetles show an average growth of 0.39-0.98 inches in length and have six legs.

It might appear like they only have a single pair of front legs, but the other two pairs are hidden underneath.

The pair of hind legs are similar to flat boards that are highly useful for paddling. Also, if you look closely, you will notice that all the legs have some hair.

They get the name from their swimming behavior and the ability to dive underwater for long durations.

These water beetles carry a bubble of air on their wings while diving. They return to the surface when the air bubble runs out.

An adult diving beetle can stay underwater for an extended period. You will be amazed to learn that they have clocked 36 hours of staying underwater!

The beetle larvae look like long centipedes with six legs. These guys hatch underwater and live there.

These larvae have pincers near their mouths, allowing them to catch and eat aquatic insects.

The diving beetle larvae are also known as the water tiger due to their predatory instinct and aggressive nature.

While the adult diving beetles carry air bubbles for oxygen, the larvae take air using the breathing pores present on their abdomen since they have to live underwater permanently.

What Do They Eat in Nature?

The diving beetles are scavengers and enjoy eating dead insects, earthworms, and small meat pieces. They are also capable of catching living aquatic creatures like fish and tadpoles.

The adult diving beetles often tear the larger prey into small chunks before consuming it.

A surprising fact about these beetles is that the dytiscid larvae can be cannibalistic in nature. Apart from eating their brothers and sister, they also hunt and eat snails, tadpoles, fish, and more.

The larvae hunt by injecting digestive juices into the body of the prey using the pincers. These juices kill and digest their hunt.

Are They Good As Pets?

These little beetles are an exciting element to add to your aquarium. Their body will give a bronze hue to your aquarium with silvery air bubbles and a great feeding display.

Also, they are comparatively cleaner than fish and require much less food. You can easily set up a n ecosystem in your aquarium that cleans itself with these beetles.

Make sure that you are adding a good quantity of aquatic plants and gravel. Do not install a filtration system here.

Avoid keeping fish and beetles in the same aquarium. Fish prey on small diving beetles and will readily consume the larvae.

Also, fish produces chemical cues through which the beetles can infer that there is a dangerous enemy in the aquarium. As a result, they will try to escape.

In many cases, giant diving beetles will kill and consume live fish.

Before setting up an aquarium with beetles, make sure that you cover the top of the aquarium, as these beetles can easily escape, especially during nighttime.

How To Catch Them In Nature?

There are around 4,000 different diving beetle species scattered throughout the world, and you can easily find them near water bodies in a freshwater zone in a warm and humid climate. Listed below are a few techniques that you can use to collect these beetles for your aquarium:

The light trapping method

Diving beetles are attracted to bright lights, like many other insects. You can trap the insects at night by luring them to a light source.

You need to hang a white sheet in front of a light source and put it near a freshwater source. The bright light will attract the diving beetles, and you catch them.

Using nets with a flat bottom

In this method, you need to use a rectangular, triangular, or D-frame net to catch these beetles. Gently put the net in a freshwater source and thrust it forward in an overhand motion.

Pull the net back along the bottom. This technique is highly effective in catching larger beetles that try to swim away from the net. You can purchase these nets in biological supply houses.

Creating bottle traps

Using bottle traps is another excellent method to capture these beetles. Here you add a small chunk of meat in a bottle trap to attract and catch a beetle.

You can create one using a large soda bottle. Cut the top portion and place it in an inverted manner on top of the other half.

To secure the gap, make sure you staple it correctly. Place a small piece of meat in with styrofoam to keep air slits on top of the water. Place it in a pond or freshwater source and leave it overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wrap Up

Diving beetles are a fascinating species of insects, and despite their highly aggressive nature toward their prey, they can be a valuable addition to your aquarium and be your new pets.

We hope this article helped you understand the habitat and the behavior of these insects. Also, we believe this article can be useful as a small guidebook for those who want to keep these beetles as pets.

Thank you for reading!