Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 30, 2026

Agabus punctulatus

Agabus punctulatus is a species of predaceous diving beetle in the family Dytiscidae. It is native to upper North America.

Last revised
Jul 30, 2026
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Agabus punctulatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Adephaga
Family: Dytiscidae
Genus: Agabus
Species:
A. punctulatus
Binomial name
Agabus punctulatus
Aubé, 1838

Agabus punctulatus is a species of predaceous diving beetle in the family Dytiscidae.123 It is native to upper North America.4

Description

Found in fresh grassland ponds, this beetle ranges from 5.5 millimetres to 6.4mm in size. 4 It can be identified by this small size as well as its black brown to dark red dorsal color. A greenish sheen has been observed on its thorax, covering pale elytra. The species displays sexual dimorphism, with males having claws on their hindlegs and a ventral tooth just below the apex on these claws. This claw with a tooth allows for simplified identification of the species in the field.

Distribution and Habitat

Agabus punctulatus can be found mostly in Canada and Alaska, but its habitat extends down to the contiguous United States in a two-pronged fork pattern.4 In the west, it reaches as far south as New Mexico and California, but in the east, it only extends to New Jersey.

References

References

  1. "Agabus punctulatus Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  2. "Agabus punctulatus". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  3. Nilsson, A.N. (2015). A World Catalogue of the Family Dytiscidae, or the Diving Beetles (Coleoptera, Adephaga), Version 1.I.2015 (PDF). Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, University of Umeå. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
Further reading

Further reading