Lesser Diving-Beetle

Lesser Diving-Beetle

Acilius sulcatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Novosibirsk

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

9 Verified sightings at Novosibirsk
7 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Lesser Diving-Beetle

Acilius sulcatus, known as the lesser diving beetle, is a species of water beetle in the family Dytiscidae. It is fairly large (14.4 – 18.2 mm), with color variation shown throughout its range. Typically it is yellow and black.

A. sulcatus has a worldwide distribution but is found primarily in North Western Europe. A. sulcatus is known throughout Europe as the lesser diving beetle, a common name shared with many other aquatic beetles in the family Dytiscidae.

Temporary and permanent water bodies. A. sulcatas shows a generalist response to habitat choice, living in bogs, ponds, streams, etc. As A. sulcatus is able to fly, it is not restricted to a single body of water. A. sulcatus is found in water bodies with high and low levels of vegetation, showing no preference between the two. They dominate in water bodies without any fish predators and are used as a primary indicator of predator presence.

A. sulcatus is found over a large range and is not thought to face any pressures on the continuity of the species; as such, the beetle has not been evaluated by the IUCN. A unique morph is, however, recognized in the Akfadou... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~10%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Novosibirsk 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%
2 Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
3 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
4 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
<5%
5 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Diving-Beetle in Novosibirsk?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Diving-Beetle sighting in Novosibirsk on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 172nd most-seen of the 216 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Lesser Diving-Beetle in Novosibirsk?

April and May

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Diving-Beetle in Novosibirsk on a given day, against under 5% in June to March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Lesser Diving-Beetle?

Between 5 and 8 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Diving-Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Novosibirsk the best place to see a Lesser Diving-Beetle?

Yes

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Lesser Diving-Beetle sightings, Novosibirsk has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Berlin (Germany, under 5%) and London (United Kingdom, under 5%).

Where does the Lesser Diving-Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Lesser Diving-Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Novosibirsk (9 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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