Dytiscid Water Beetle

[gpmatthews]

I keep on finding things too big for the microscope, so here is another of my rare, but getting more frequent, forays into macro... setup uses a simple add on lens to my Powershot S50.

This beetle is about 9 mm long and was caught today on a walk with my daughter to a local river. It is similar to the Great Diving Beetle, but much smaller. The first two shots show it coming up for air.

[Ken Ramos]

A very large and interesting looking beetle there Graham. So it breathes through the lower part of the abdomen. I didn't water beetles did so, what does it have a tube of sorts that it extends to the surface? Wonderful images Graham, thanks!

[gpmatthews]

Ken,

They carry a bubble of air trapped under their wing-cases. You can just see this in the last photo at the very tail of the beetle.