21-497: The Dytiscidae – based on the Greek dytikos (δυτικός), "able to dive" – are the predaceous diving beetles , a family of water beetles . They occur in virtually any freshwater habitat around the world, but a few species live among leaf litter . The adults of most are between 1 and 2.5 cm (0.4–1.0 in) long, though much variation is seen between species. The European Dytiscus latissimus and Brazilian Megadytes ducalis are
42-554: A lack of widespread consensus within the scientific community for extended periods. The continual publication of new data and diverse opinions plays a crucial role in facilitating adjustments and ultimately reaching a consensus over time. The naming of families is codified by various international bodies using the following suffixes: The taxonomic term familia was first used by French botanist Pierre Magnol in his Prodromus historiae generalis plantarum, in quo familiae plantarum per tabulas disponuntur (1689) where he called
63-499: Is commonly referred to as the "walnut family". The delineation of what constitutes a family— or whether a described family should be acknowledged— is established and decided upon by active taxonomists . There are not strict regulations for outlining or acknowledging a family, yet in the realm of plants, these classifications often rely on both the vegetative and reproductive characteristics of plant species. Taxonomists frequently hold varying perspectives on these descriptions, leading to
84-542: Is decreasing. Dytiscidae are reportedly also eaten in Taiwan , Thailand , and New Guinea . The greatest threat to diving beetles is the degradation and disappearance of their habitats due to anthropogenic activities. For example, urbanisation has led to the decreasing quantity and quality of dytiscid habitats, which consequentially has increased the distance between habitats.; thus, dytiscids may be exposed to high predation risks during dispersal. Urbanisation has complex effects on
105-480: Is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy . It is classified between order and genus . A family may be divided into subfamilies , which are intermediate ranks between the ranks of family and genus. The official family names are Latin in origin; however, popular names are often used: for example, walnut trees and hickory trees belong to the family Juglandaceae , but that family
126-456: The Genera Plantarum of George Bentham and Joseph Dalton Hooker this word ordo was used for what now is given the rank of family. Families serve as valuable units for evolutionary, paleontological, and genetic studies due to their relatively greater stability compared to lower taxonomic levels like genera and species. Cybister sugillatus Cybister sugillatus ,
147-481: The Guangdong Province of China , the latter species, as well as C. bengalensis , C. guerini , C. limbatus , C. sugillatus , C. tripunctatus , and probably also the well-known great diving beetle ( D. marginalis ) are bred for human consumption, though as they are cumbersome to raise due to their carnivorous habit and have a fairly bland (though apparently not offensive) taste and little meat, this
168-1010: The elytra of their hosts, those in genus Acherontacarus attach to the mesosternal regions and those in genus Hydrachna attach to various locations. These mites are parasitic as larvae with the exception of Dytiscacarus , which are parasitic for their entire life cycle. The following taxonomic sequence gives the subfamilies , their associated genera . Subfamily Agabinae Thomson, 1867 Subfamily Colymbetinae Erichson, 1837 Subfamily Copelatinae Branden, 1885 Subfamily Coptotominae Branden, 1885 Subfamily Cybistrinae Subfamily Dytiscinae Leach, 1815 Subfamily Hydrodytinae K.B.Miller, 2001 Subfamily Hydroporinae Aubé, 1836 Subfamily Laccophilinae Gistel, 1856 Subfamily Lancetinae Branden, 1885 Subfamily Matinae Branden, 1885 Subfamily † Liadytiscinae Prokin & Ren, 2010 Subfamily Incertae sedis Family (biology) Family ( Latin : familia , pl. : familiae )
189-618: The "liquid chaos" the beetle brought up soft mud from the bottom. This mud then spread out to form all of the land on Earth. Adult Dytiscidae, as well as Gyrinidae , are collected by young girls in East Africa . It is believed that inducing the beetles to bite the nipples will stimulate breast growth. The effect of that habit has not been tested, but it is notable that the defense glands of diving beetles contain many types of bioactive steroids. Dytiscidae are parasitised by various mites . Those in genera Dytiscacarus and Eylais live beneath
210-588: The European Union, two species of diving beetles are protected by the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats , and thus serve as umbrella species for the protection of natural aquatic habitats: Dytiscus latissimus and Graphoderus bilineatus . The diving beetle plays a role in a Cherokee creation story. According to the narrative, upon finding nowhere to rest in
231-595: The beetles vary in size from about 1 to 5 cm (0.39 to 1.97 in). The larval bodies are shaped like crescents, with the tail long and covered with thin hairs. Six legs protrude from along the thorax , which also sports the same thin hairs. The head is flat and square, with a pair of long, large pincers. When hunting, they cling to grasses or pieces of wood along the bottom, and hold perfectly still until prey passes by, then they lunge, trapping their prey between their front legs and biting down with their pincers. The larvae are also known to partially consume prey and discard
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#1732851892837252-505: The carcass if another potential prey swims nearby. Their usual prey includes tadpoles and glassworms , among other smaller water-dwelling creatures. As the larvae mature, they crawl from the water on the sturdy legs, and bury themselves in the mud for pupation . After about a week, or longer in some species, they emerge from the mud as adults. Adult diving beetles have been found to oviposit their eggs within frog spawn in highly ephemeral habitats, with their eggs hatching within 24 hours after
273-530: The family as a rank intermediate between order and genus was introduced by Pierre André Latreille in his Précis des caractères génériques des insectes, disposés dans un ordre naturel (1796). He used families (some of them were not named) in some but not in all his orders of "insects" (which then included all arthropods ). In nineteenth-century works such as the Prodromus of Augustin Pyramus de Candolle and
294-520: The frogs and the larvae voraciously predating on the recently hatched tadpoles. Adult Dytiscidae, particularly of the genus Cybister , are edible . Remnants of C. explanatus were found in prehistoric human coprolites in a Nevada cave, likely sourced from the Humboldt Sink . In Mexico , C. explanatus is eaten roasted and salted to accompany tacos . In Japan, C. japonicus has been used as food in certain regions such as Nagano prefecture. In
315-909: The inter- and intraspecific variation in dytiscid traits. Some flight-related traits of Acilius canaliculatus and Hydaticus seminiger , such as body length and hindwing traits, were found to change along the urban gradient at different scales, whereas the traits of Ilybius ater exhibited no change. Brownification, which refers to the change in surface water colour towards yellow–brown hues caused by recent climate change and land-use change, can also drive changes in dytiscid communities. As some species, such as Dytiscus marginalis , are tolerant to brown water, whereas some species, Hyphydrus ovatus , tend to occur in clear water, brownification may threaten dytiscid species that are intolerant to highly coloured waters. Dytiscid adults are eaten by many birds , mammals , reptiles , and other vertebrate predators , despite their arsenal of chemical defenses. But by far
336-730: The largest, reaching up to 4.5 and 4.75 cm (1.8 and 1.9 in) respectively. In contrast, the smallest is likely the Australian Limbodessus atypicali of subterranean waters, which only is about 0.9 mm (0.035 in) long. Most are dark brown, blackish, or dark olive in color with golden highlights in some subfamilies . The larvae are commonly known as water tigers due to their voracious appetite. They have short, but sharp mandibles and immediately upon biting, they deliver digestive enzymes into prey to suck their liquefied remains. The family includes more than 4,000 described species in numerous genera . Diving beetles are
357-451: The most diverse beetles in the aquatic environment and can be found in almost every kind of freshwater habitat, from small rock pools to big lakes. Some dytiscid species are also found in brackish water. Diving beetles live in water bodies in various landscapes, including agricultural and urban landscapes. Some species, such as Agabus uliginosus and Acilius canaliculatus , are found to be relatively tolerant to recent urbanization. One of
378-547: The most important limiting factors for diving beetle occurrence is the presence of fish, which predate on the beetles (mostly on larvae), compete for food, and change the structure of the habitat. The presence or absence of fish can also affect habitat use and habitat selection of dytiscids. Some species, such as Oreodytes sanmarkii , occur in exposed areas of waters, whereas many diving beetles species prefer habitats with aquatic plants, especially plants with complex structures, such as sedges and bulrush. When still in larval form,
399-419: The most important predator of diving beetles are fish, which limit the occurrence of most diving beetle species to fishless ponds, or to margins of aquatic habitats. Although the larvae of a few dytiscid species may become apex predators in small ponds , their presence is also often incompatible with fish. Therefore, the main focus of water beetle conservation is the protection of natural, fish-less habitats. In
420-567: The seventy-six groups of plants he recognised in his tables families ( familiae ). The concept of rank at that time was not yet settled, and in the preface to the Prodromus Magnol spoke of uniting his families into larger genera , which is far from how the term is used today. In his work Philosophia Botanica published in 1751, Carl Linnaeus employed the term familia to categorize significant plant groups such as trees , herbs , ferns , palms , and so on. Notably, he restricted
441-541: The use of this term solely within the book's morphological section, where he delved into discussions regarding the vegetative and generative aspects of plants. Subsequently, in French botanical publications, from Michel Adanson 's Familles naturelles des plantes (1763) and until the end of the 19th century, the word famille was used as a French equivalent of the Latin ordo (or ordo naturalis ). In zoology ,
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