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Rossendale Birds Forum -> Other Wildlife Sightings -> Plunge 25/8/08
Post Info TOPIC: Plunge 25/8/08
Ina


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Plunge 25/8/08
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Beetle about 2" long clinging to Reed Mace about 6" above water.
Mid brown with paler margins. Elongated oval shape.  No obvious thorax.  Quick search on the net and I came up with Great Diving Beetle, Dytiscus marginalis.
Read one article that states they leave the water to look for new ponds.
Can anyone help confirm it.
Cheers
Ina

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Ste Rush


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Hi Ina
The size you mention and with you been a woman and not man uh hum I would say Great Diving as nothing else really comes close to this size except a scavenger beetle Hydrophilus aterrimus but this is mostly uniformly glossy black. The only thing is this size suggests male and the males thorax is quite well separated from abdomen and head by the same paler brown edges that run on the outside edges of his abdomen and thorax.

The female has more brown in her abdomen that are stripy whereas the male is more black. Bet you wish you had a cam handy!

Hope this helps

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Ina


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Thanks Ste,
What are you suggesting? I'm not usually fooled easily by size! biggrin What's an inch or two between friends? Anyway, it was a big 'un.
I was a distance away so my description may have been a bit sketchy.  What I was trying to say was the body/head was attached as in a Ladybird rather than a ground beetle. Had pale margines though as you said.
I'll try harder next time, it's my age you know. no.gif

Cheers m'dear.
Ina

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JimOrmerod


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I agree about it being Dytiscus.  Here are a couple of images found on Google images: www.gardensafari.net/english/big_beetles.htm

Most diving beetles can fly to colonise new waters and so can bugs like water boatmen (backswimmers).

They've been known to land on wet roads at night mistaking them for stretches of water.

All the best



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Jim Ormerod
Ste Rush


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LOL Ina!!

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Go On...Go Wild!!
Ina


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That looks like the beauty Jim.
Although the one I saw looked paler.  Wonder if it had just emerged?  Anyway from the description of it's eating habits on the web link it looks like I had a lucky escape, if I'd been nearer it may have had a go at me!!!
Cheers
Ina

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