Diving beetle

"I caught a diving beetle! I give it a perfect 10!" —City Folk

"I caught a diving beetle! It's like I have sonar or something!" —New Leaf

Diving Beetle Water Beetle
Image gallery
Real-world info
Name: Dytiscus marginalis Family: Dytiscidae - Predaceous Diving Beetles
Main appearances
DnM DnM+ AC DnMe+ iQue WW CF NL NH
Other appearances
Film HHD aF PC
Names in other languages  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown

The Diving Beetle (ゲンゴロウ, Gengorō), also known as the Water Beetle in Doubutsu no Mori e+, is a common insect found in rivers and ponds, swimming and diving. They are worth 800 Bells. It appears during the months of May through September, and was introduced in Doubutsu no Mori e+. It is common to find when it is raining, but can be caught in all weather. The Diving Beetle is found underwater, with a dark shadow like fish, and above water, showing their green bodies. To catch them, they need to be above the water. When caught, the "Bugs and Fish" window says "These are said to have short but strong pincers. Ouch!".

Donating to the museum

A Diving Beetle swimming in the river

In City Folk

If the player donates the Diving Beetle to the museum, Blathers will make a comment on it.

"While they're marginally less odious as adults...dive beetles are horrific in their larval stage! These wretched youths are twice the size of the adults and wield a large poison barb. Foul villainy! Then again, I suppose the adults aren't much better. They're both completely objectionable, really..."

It can be found in the bottom-left hand enclosure in the insect exhibition, in the small pond.

In New Leaf

Upon being donated, the beetle can be found in the first room of the bug exhibit swimming in the pond.

"Diving beetles swim using thick, hairy hind legs and clean the water by eating dead insects. They store a supply of air under their wings to breathe underwater and surface to replenish as needed. When they're caught by predators, they release a foul-smelling bluish fluid from their heads in defense."

Further information

Adult beetles have streamlined, oval, or football-shaped flattened bodies that are usually 12-25 millimeters (1/8-1 inch) long. Most species are brown to black but some have distinctive patterns of spots, lines, or mottling on the wing covers. They have elongate hairlike antennae. Larvae are not frequently seen and have a long thorax and long legs. The head bears conspicuous large sickle-shaped mandibles without teeth.

Predaceous diving beetles are easily confused with water scavenger beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). The latter surface for air head first and have a ridge or keel on the underside that runs down the thorax and extends into a point.