The 2nd edition of this comprehensive book provides one of the most complete overviews of the aquatic beetles in the family Dytiscidae, also known as predaceous diving beetles. Dytiscids constitute one of the largest families of freshwater insects with approximately 4,650 named species that come in a variety of sizes, colors, and habitat affinities. Although dytiscid adults and larvae are ubiquitous throughout a variety of aquatic habitats, and are important predators on other aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates, there are no compilations that have focused on summarizing the knowledge on aspects of their ecology, systematics, and biology. Chapters in this book summarize hitherto scattered topics, including their anatomy and habitats, chemical and community ecology, phylogenies and larval morphology including chaetotaxy, sexual systems, predation, dispersal, conservation, and cultural and historical aspects. The 2nd edition offers updates on the newest scientific findings on dytiscids and also includes a new chapter on the subterranean fauna from Australia. The information in this new edition is potentially beneficial to anyone working in aquatic systems where dytiscids are an important part of the food web. Moreover, readers will gain a greater appreciation of dytiscids as model organisms for investigations of fundamental principles derived from ecological and evolutionary theory. Contributed chapters are by authors who are actively engaged in studying dytiscids, and each chapter provides color photos and future directions for research.

The first comprehensive book in more than a century to reveal the diversity and natural history of diving beetles. Among the hundreds of thousands of species of beetles, there is one family, containing some 4,300 species, that stands out as one of the most diverse and important groups of aquatic predatory insects. This is the Dytiscidae, whose species are commonly known as diving beetles. No comprehensive treatment of this group has been compiled in over 130 years, a period during which a great many changes in classification and a near quadrupling of known species has occurred. In Diving Beetles of the World, Kelly B. Miller and Johannes Bergsten provide the only full treatments of all 188 Dytiscid genera ever assembled. Entomologists, systematists, limnologists, ecologists, and others with an interest in aquatic systems or insect diversity will find these extensively illustrated keys and taxon accounts immensely helpful. The keys make it possible to identify all taxa from subfamily to genera, and each key and taxon treatment is accompanied by both photographs and detailed pen-and-ink drawings of diagnostic features. Every genus account covers body length, diagnostic characters, classification, species diversity, a review of known natural history, and world distribution. Each account is also accompanied by a range map and at least one high-resolution habitus image of a specimen. Diving beetles are fast becoming important models for aquatic ecology, world biogeography, population ecology, and animal sexual evolution and, with this book, the diversity of the group is finally accessible.

This book first reviews the biology of Dytiscidae or water beetles, including life history and ecology. It then defines and keys adults & larvae (when known) of dytiscid fauna of Canada, the United States, and for some taxa also northern Mexico. The focus is on the fauna of Canada & Alaska, and adults of the 276 species known from this region are treated in detail. For each Canadian-Alaskan species, the following information is presented: nomenclature & synonymy; selected references; description, including illustrations of taxonomically important characteristics; comments on classification or variation; notes on ecology; and description of the species range, accompanied by a map of collection records. Checklists of the dytiscid fauna of Canada/Alaska are also presented, with the distribution of the species recorded by province/territory and Canadian ecozone. Includes systematic index.

Rove beetles (Staphylinidae) are common elements of the soil biota, living in the litter and deeper soil layers. Although they are one of the most diverse and speciose groups of insects, no comprehensive books on their general evolution and ecology are as yet available. This book fills that gap, discussing significant aspects and active research examples in the fields of phylogeny and systematics, ecology and conservation, and reproduction and development. The combination of review chapters and case studies provides an excellent introduction to the biology of rove beetles and enables readers to become familiar with active research fields in this megadiverse group of beetles. Offering easy access to these fields, it also demonstrates how staphylinids are used as bioindicators in applied ecosystem research, including that concerning conservation issues. Experienced scientists and beginners alike find the diversity of subjects covered intriguing and inspiring for continuing and starting their own research. The book is intended for students and researchers in biology and zoology (entomology), including morphologists, ecologists, soil scientists, evolutionary biologists, paleontologists, biogeographers, taxonomists and systematists.

Predaceous diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) are an important family of aquatic beetles worldwide, and can be found virtually anywhere fresh water is present. The thesis is bi-parted; presenting a predictive distribution model and distribution survey of a rare endemic dytiscid, Hygrotus diversipes Leech, as well as a field guide of the common predaceous diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) of Wyoming. During the research survey, sampling locations were predicted using Maximum Entropy (Maxent) and Random Forest distribution modeling. Adults were then sampled using aquatic nets and bottle-traps; with water quality was collected at each site. A total of 26 H. diversipes specimens were collected in 2010 and 2011. The distribution models predicted a strong correlation between H. diversipes potential habitat and the hottest month mean temperatures in the lower elevation areas of Wyoming. Although the predictive distribution models predicted potential habitat in several other river basins, H. diversipes was not collected outside of the Powder and Wind River Basins. Surveying during a wetter series of years and increased knowledge on the life history of H. diversipes may reveal a wider distribution. The field guide contains species descriptions, ecology statewide distribution and high quality images. There are keys to genus and keys to species for the 99 known species and the 47 other species that may be present.