Dytiscus circumflexus
Local name: Dytique à accent
Dytiscus circumflexus is a large predatory diving beetle characterized by its distinctive oval-shaped body and the characteristic accent-like markings that give it its common name. These aquatic beetles are powerful swimmers with streamlined bodies and serve as important predators in freshwater ecosystems, controlling populations of smaller aquatic invertebrates and occasionally small fish.
Photo: iNaturalist: (c) John P, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by John P
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Coleoptera
Family
Dytiscidae
Genus
Dytiscus
Dytiscus circumflexus belongs to the family Dytiscidae, order Coleoptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
Dytiscus circumflexus is a large predatory diving beetle characterized by its distinctive oval-shaped body and the characteristic accent-like markings that give it its common name. These aquatic beetles are powerful swimmers with streamlined bodies and serve as important predators in freshwater ecosystems, controlling populations of smaller aquatic invertebrates and occasionally small fish.
Dytiscus circumflexus faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its freshwater pond and wetland ecosystems. Agricultural intensification, urban development, and water pollution have dramatically reduced the availability of suitable breeding and foraging habitats. Climate change and altered hydrological patterns further threaten the remaining fragmented populations of this critically endangered diving beetle.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Dytiscus circumflexus inhabits clean, well-oxygenated freshwater bodies including pristine ponds, slow-moving streams, and the shallow margins of lakes with abundant aquatic vegetation. The species requires waters with stable temperatures and minimal chemical pollution to complete its complex aquatic life cycle.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Dytiscus circumflexus faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its freshwater pond and wetland ecosystems. Agricultural intensification, urban development, and water pollution have dramatically reduced the availability of suitable breeding and foraging habitats. Climate change and altered hydrological patterns further threaten the remaining fragmented populations of this critically endangered diving beetle.
Agricultural intensification and pesticide use
Habitat loss and wetland drainage
Water pollution and eutrophication
Climate change and altered precipitation patterns
Urban development and infrastructure expansion
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Dytiscus circumflexus (Dytiscus circumflexus). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/dytique-a-accent