| Scientific Name | Specimen Records |  Click photo to enlarge. Photo by Charles Staines. |
|||
| Bidessonotus inconspicuus (LeConte) | ATBI Database | ||||
| Common Name | |||||
| N/A | |||||
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | |
| Animalia | Arthropoda | Insecta | Coleoptera | Dytiscidae | |
| Animals | Arthropods | Insects | Beetles | Predaceous Diving Beetles | |
Physical characteristics:
Adult: Body elongate oval, side margins of pronotum and elytra strongly discontinuous in dorsal outline. Color: head and pronotum reddish-brown to reddish; antennae yellowish basally, darker at apex; palps yellow; elytra brownish to blackish, side margin paler and expanded to spots near the apex; venter pale reddish-brown. Head: with band of punctures between eyes, each puncture with a seta. Pronotum: with distinct, evenly spaced punctures in middle, larger punctures present basally; plicae curved at base onto disc Elytra: densely punctate; plicae curved at base, then directed inward toward suture; female elytra with purplish iridescence. (Larson et al. 2000)
Adult body length: 1.7-2.3 mm.
Larvae: Unknown.
Distribution:
Global
This species is found from Nova Scotia, southern Quebec and Ontario south to Florida and Texas (Larson et al. 2000).
Park
This species is known only from the Cades Cove area of the park. Specimens have been taken in a permanent pond in May.
Natural History:
Habitat
Specimens have been collected in ditches, ponds, streams, and woodland pools (Larson et al. 2000). Adults are attracted to lights (Ciegler 2003).
Conservation Biology
This species is widespread, common, and not glob ally threatened.Acknowledgements
Text:
Charles Staines.
Photographs:Charles Staines.
Web page:
References
Ciegler, J. C. 2003. Water beetles of South Carolina (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae, Haliplidae, Noteridae, Dytiscidae, Hydrophilidae, Hydraenidae, Scirtidae, Elmidae, Dryopidae, Limnichidae, Heteroceridae, Psephenidae, Ptilodactylidae, and Chelonariidae). Biota of South Carolina . Volume 3. Clemson University, Clemson. 207 pp.
Larson, D. J. Y. Alarie, & R. E. Roughley. 2000. Predacious diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) of the Nearctic Region, with emphasis on the fauna of Canada and Alaska . NRC Press. Ottawa . 982 pp.
