ABOUT
About Lesser Diving Beetle
Grows to about 24-29mm. Found on Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, the Ryukyu Islands, and the Ogasawara Islands, and abroad in China, the Korean Peninsula, and Taiwan. Elongate-oval and somewhat flattened, with a strongly glossy back ranging from green to brownish black; a yellow rim along the edge of the elytra is the key point for telling it apart from the tawny diving beetle. It lives in ponds and marshes rich in aquatic plants, rice paddies and nearby puddles, fallow fields, and slow-moving channels. Since the 1960s it has declined sharply on Honshu and further south due to pesticide use and field consolidation, and is listed as Vulnerable on the Ministry of the Environment's Red List, but it is still relatively commonly seen in the Ryukyu Islands.
SAFETY
Observation Safety Notes
Please enjoy Amami's wildlife through photographs. Some species are protected by law or local ordinance, and capturing or removing them is prohibited. In special protection zones within the national park, collecting any wildlife is prohibited entirely. Please check the notes on this page, and confirm local rules before visiting any site.
