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Great diving beetle/Dytiscus marginalis


Great diving beetle/Dytiscus marginalis
Photo Information
Copyright: Marcello Romano (marcellr) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 208 W: 38 N: 1012] (3514)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-10-22
Categories: Insects
Camera: Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom
Exposure: f/3.2, 1/80 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-12-20 12:46
Viewed: 759
Points: 36
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
COLEOPTERA, DYTISCIDAE

Common English Name. Dytiscidae are known by various common names, including predaceous diving beetles, water beetles and diving beetles.


Dytiscidae is a family of water beetles. They are dark brown in color with golden highlights and short, but sharp, pincers. The larvae are commonly known as water tigers. The family is estimated to include about 4,000 species in over 160 genera.

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Dytiscus marginalis Linnaeus, 1758

The great diving beetle (D. marginalis) is, as the name suggests, a large aquatic beetle. One of our largest beetles, this species has a dark, olive-brown, almond-shaped oval and streamlined body, about three centimetres long, with the thorax bordered by dull yellow. The wing cases, or 'elytra', are ridged in females but smooth in males. Males (as this one) can also be distinguished from females by the presence of suction pads for gripping the female while mating on the front legs; two of which are very large.
This beetle is very common in weedy, standing or slow-flowing water and is often found in garden ponds.
Great diving beetles periodically come to the surface, extruding the tip of the abdomen to replenish an air supply kept under the wings. They are able to leave the water and fly off to colonise new ponds, sometimes landing in error on shiny car roofs or cold-frames in mistake for a water surface! This species will sometimes fly to outside lights at night.
Predatory as adults and larvae, eating anything they can tackle, including other water insects, tadpoles and even very small fish.
Found in Europe and northern Asia.
Silvio2006, jrobertop, paulsballs, jcoowanitwong, meyerd, haraprasan, uleko, cicindela, Alex99 has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To meyerd: The picturemarcellr 1 12-21 09:46
To nardophoto: Grazie a augurimarcellr 3 12-21 09:41
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1978 W: 6 N: 5527] (19673)
  • [2007-12-20 12:52]

beh adesso hai esagerato !!! anche una macro sott'acqua !!troppo bravo,Luciano

Foto da 1000 punti!
Bravo Marcello, è sempre un piacere vedere le tue foto accompagnate da bellissime ed esaurienti note.
Ciao ed auguri di buone feste.
Angelo

Marcello what an amazing shot!Such clarity under water, it is really crisp and with a very nice contrast of colors between your light green and brown tones. I've seen a lot of those dyticuses they are splendid big insects and perfect swimmers. We used to have them at school as insects in the biology classes.

Bravissimo!

Warmest regards and merry Xmas to you.

Ivan

Ciao Marcello,
Splendid macro of this strange coleopter!
Very good colors and perpective.
Excellent sharpness and details.
Thanks for sharing this marvel!
Congratulations my friend!
Regards,
José Roberto

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 375 W: 51 N: 519] (2238)
  • [2007-12-20 15:32]

Hello Marcello,
Beautiful picture, colors and details are fantastic!
Nicelly focused and with great DOF & light
Best regards
Dejan

G’day Marcello Beautiful image. Excellent exposure and DOF. Well done!
TFS Paul

Hello Marcello,
A fantastic under water shot. Perfect sharpness and exposure. Lovely composition. Very well done.
JC

  • Great 
  • Ric Silver Note Writer [C: 4 W: 0 N: 20] (140)
  • [2007-12-20 22:26]

Ciao Marcello,
Impresionante macro subacuatico. Muy interesante ver la posición natural de Dytiscus, respirando y a la vez mirando para abajo buscando presas. Muy interesante también ver las patas y sus artejos.
La foto bien tomada y el animal resaltado con las algas filamentosas verdes de fondo.
Interesante documento.
Felices Navidades
Ricard

Ciao Marcello,
Top quality photo and is awesome!
my compliment to this shot in perfect sharpness, vivid colour and details
a very good size to enjoy the closeness of it
many thanks
ciao
Tony

Hi Marcello,
this is one hell of a good looking beetle. Beautiful composition. I'm sure it's an aquarium, that's perfectly all right. The algae to slow the bugger down!!! All the details are interesting, the focal spot in the eye, the legs, the streamlined body, the colors. You used the light very smartly from the side. Well done!
Best regards, Marcello
Dietrich

Hi Marcello,
A beautiful capture of this giant water beetle. I have seen them a lot but never dared to capture one but I will try it now. Nice details and a very good POV. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Hello Marcello,

Just marking,
Mariki

hello marcello,
lovely shot, liked the pov, sharp image with good details, well composed shot,
tfs & regards
pankaj

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2991 W: 162 N: 949] (2787)
  • [2007-12-21 7:15]

Hello Marcello,
What a splendid under-water capture of this Diving Beetle. I've only seen the larvae at close hand and it was very big and looked like a real monster! Impressive sharp details and fine natural colours in this splendid composition. Well done!
Many thanks, Ulla

Hi Marcello!
I will strat like this: the are not many entomologists-photographers on TN, so there is always a great pleasure to watch pictures like this (I really remember on of your first picture with Calomera tiger beetle! :>). This is another great capture - even if the photo was takes using aquarium :)
Waht to say - I do not remember any Dytiscus beetle photo taken in "almost natural" condition here on TN.
Very good work my Friend!
Best greetings,
Radomir

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3584 W: 143 N: 5669] (18531)
  • [2007-12-21 11:00]

Hi Marcello.
What a great impressive close-up. Superb diagonal composition and terrific eye-contact. Lights and colours are wonderful as well as the details and sharpness of the image. Bravo.
Alexei.

Stupefacente macro subacquea, ma avevi il respiratore?
Riesci sempre a superartii, bravo Marcello, ciao Silvio

Excelente documento Marcello, estos acuáticos se ven poco por Tk. Para mí son unos insectos casi desconocidos. Muy buen enfoque y colores.
Excelente trabajo

Hello Marcello,
exciting document of a diving beetle in its element. Excellent details, delightfully rich colours, a powerful composition. Great work!
Happy New Year!
Peter

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