Can diving beetles be kept as pets?

This document introduces attractive, easy-to-keep, local, non-endangered, aquatic pets—the diving beetles. Predaceous diving beetles are aesthetically pleasing yet still rare in aquariums (though common in countries like Japan), which makes them a new, unusual pet.

Do predaceous diving beetles fly?

Habitat and Conservation Because predaceous diving beetles are strong fliers, they can fly away to new water if the pond they are in dries up, or if electric lights lure them away from “home.” This is why water beetles are sometimes found in birdbaths and swimming pools.

How long can a diving beetle stay underwater?

Larvae take air into their bodies through spiracles (pores) at the tip of their abdomen. Adults also back up to the surface film, but the air they capture is stored under the elytra. They can stay submerged for a long time (“long” being defined by one author as 10 minutes and by another as 36 hours!).

Do goldfish eat diving beetles?

Fish, frogs and water spiders like to eat diving beetles. Adult diving beetles breathe by storing oxygen in a bubble underneath their wing cases. Larvae have a siphon (like a snorkel) coming out the end of their body. They stick this siphon out of the water to get oxygen to breathe.

What do you feed diving beetles?

They are scavengers, and love earthworms, small pieces of meat, and dead insects. Sometimes they can catch a snail or another living aquatic creature. They are not very good at catching fish, but may succeed at night, so we do not recommend keeping beetles and fish in the same tank.

Are great diving beetles good for ponds?

Due to their predaceous behavior, diving beetles can be a positive addition to a home garden and can help keep your pond water clean, removing dead insects and especially aiding in pest control by eating mosquito larvae and other pest invertebrates.

Where are predaceous diving beetle found?

lakes and ponds
Predaceous diving beetles are in the Family Dytiscidae (from the Greek for “able to dive”); with 4300 species worldwide (about 500 in North America), they are the largest family of aquatic beetles. Typically, they live in the shallow, still waters of lakes and ponds or in the pool areas of streams.

Do diving beetles eat pond snails?

Diving beetles feed on other insects, crustaceans, tadpoles, snails and small fish. Adults will also feed on any carrion they find.