Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 10, 2026

Megadytes

Megadytes is a genus of diving beetles in the family Dytiscidae. They are found in slow-moving or static freshwater habitats in the Neotropics. The adult beetles measure about 1.65–4.75 cm (0.6–1.9 in) long depending on the exact species and the largest is also the largest in the family.

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Megadytes
Megadytes sp.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Adephaga
Family: Dytiscidae
Tribe: Cybistrini
Genus: Megadytes
Sharp, 1882

Megadytes is a genus of diving beetles in the family Dytiscidae. They are found in slow-moving or static freshwater habitats in the Neotropics.1 The adult beetles measure about 1.65–4.75 cm (0.6–1.9 in) long depending on the exact species and the largest is also the largest in the family (together with certain Dytiscus).123

Species

Following reclassification in 2024,4 Megadytes now contains two described species:

  • Megadytes latus (Fabricius, 1801)
  • Megadytes parvus Trémouilles, 1984
References

References

  1. Miller, K.B.; J. Bergsten (2016). Diving Beetles of the World: Systematics and Biology of the Dytiscidae. JHU Press. pp. 107–108. ISBN 978-1-4214-2054-7.
  2. G.N. Foster; D.T. Bilton (2014). "The Conservation of Predaceous Diving Beetles: Knowns, Unknowns and Anecdotes". In D.A. Yee (ed.). Ecology, Systematics, and the Natural History of Predaceous Diving Beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). Springer. pp. 437–462. ISBN 978-94-017-9109-0.
  3. Hendrich, Lars; Manuel, Michael; Balke, Michael (2019). "The return of the Duke—locality data for Megadytes ducalis Sharp, 1882, the world's largest diving beetle, with notes on related species (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae)". Zootaxa. 4586 (3): 517–535. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4586.3.8. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 31716121.
  4. Miller, Kelly B.; Michat, Mariano C.; Ferreira, Nelson (2024). "Reclassification of Cybistrinae Sharp, 1880 in the Neotropical Region (Coleoptera, Adephaga, Dytiscidae), with description of new taxa". ZooKeys (1188): 126–168. doi:10.3897/zookeys.1188.110081. PMC 10790577. PMID 38230379.