The Dytiscidae – based on the Greek dytikos (δυτικός), "able to dive" – are the predaceous diving beetles, a family of water beetles. They occur in virtually any freshwater habitat around the world, but a few species live among leaf litter. The adults of most are between 1 and 2.5 cm (0.4–1.0 in) long, though much variation is seen between species. The European Dytiscus latissimus and Brazilian Megadytes ducalis are the largest, reaching up to 4.5 and 4.75 cm respectively. In contrast, the smallest is likely the Australian Limbodessus atypicali of subterranean waters, which only is about 0.9 mm (0.035 in) long. Most are dark brown, blackish, or dark olive in color with golden highlights in some subfamilies. The larvae are commonly known as water tigers due to their voracious appetite. They have short, but sharp mandibles and immediately upon biting, they deliver digestive enzymes into prey to suck their liquefied remains. The family includes more than 4,000 described species in numerous genera.
Copelatus is a large genus of small diving beetles. There are some 470 described species in the genus, found worldwide, but they are most diverse in tropical South America, Africa and South-East Asia. Copelatus are often black or brown in color, many species of Copelatus possessing visible longitudinal furrows down the dorsal side of the wings of both sexes.
Rhantus is a genus of beetle in family Dytiscidae. There are about 100 species distributed worldwide. They often live in pools and marshy habitat types. Several species have colonized oceanic islands and become endemics.
Laccophilus is a genus of water beetle found in nearly every temperate or tropical region in the world including but not limited to Europe, the Near East, the Nearctic, North Africa and the Oriental region. It contains the following species:
Hyphydrus is a genus of diving beetle native to the Palearctic, the Afro-tropical region, the Near East, North Africa. It contains the following species:
Hydroporus is a genus of water beetles native to the Palearctic, the Nearctic, the Near East, and North Africa. It contains the following species:
Hydaticus is a genus of predatory water beetle belonging to the family Dytiscidae. Hydaticus can be found throughout most of the world. There are 150 described species and 12 subspecies in two subgenera in the genus Hydaticus.
Platynectes is a genus of beetles in the family Dytiscidae, containing the following species:
Carabdytes is a genus of predaceous diving beetles in the family Dytiscidae. Carabdytes upin was formerly the sole species of this genus, but nine species in the genus Rhantus were transferred to Carabdytes as a result of research published by Balke et al. in 2017.
Prodaticus is a subgenus of beetles of the genus Hydaticus in the family Dytiscidae. These 143 species are in the subgenus Prodaticus:
Clypeodytes is a genus of beetles in the family Dytiscidae, containing the following species:
Hydroglyphus is a genus of predaceous diving beetles in the family Dytiscidae. There are more than 90 described species in Hydroglyphus, found in Africa, Australasia, Indomalaya, and the Palearctic.
Nebrioporus is a genus of beetles in the family Dytiscidae, containing the following species:
Microdytes is a genus of beetles in the family Dytiscidae, containing the following species:
Neptosternus is a genus of beetles in the family Dytiscidae, containing the following species:
Exocelina subjecta is a species of diving beetle in the genus Exocelina of the subfamily Copelatinae in the family Dytiscidae, described by David Sharp in 1882.
Helochares is a genus of water scavenger beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, represented by 161 described species. It is distributed across the Afrotropical, Australasian, Indo-Malayan, Nearctic, and Palearctic realms.
Bidessini is a tribe of predaceous diving beetles in the family Dytiscidae. There are at least 40 genera and at least 630 described species in Bidessini.
Hyphydrini is a tribe of predaceous diving beetles in the family Dytiscidae. There are about 16 genera and more than 390 described species in Hyphydrini.
