Diving Beetle vs Japanese Diving Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Diving Beetle Japanese Diving Beetle
Scientific Name Dytiscus marginalis Cybister japonicus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Dytiscidae Dytiscidae
Size 27-35 mm 30-38 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Ponds & Lakes
Diet Predators Omnivores
Regions Europe, Asia Japan, Korean Peninsula
Conservation Least Concern Vulnerable

Diving Beetle

A large, streamlined aquatic beetle with an olive-green body bordered in yellow. It carries an air bubble under its elytra and is a voracious underwater predator.

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Did You Know?

Great diving beetles can stay submerged for extended periods by trapping a silvery air bubble under their wing covers that functions like a gill.

Japanese Diving Beetle

A large diving beetle native to Japan, once common but now increasingly rare. It has suffered severe declines due to habitat loss and invasive species.

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Did You Know?

The American bullfrog, introduced to Japan, is a major predator of this beetle and a key driver of its decline.