Field observation of hunting behavior by larva and adult of diving beetle Dytiscus marginalis Linnaeus, 1758 preying on Lissotriton boscai (Lataste, 1879)

Abstract

Dytiscids prey on a variety of items including other invertebrates but also larger prey such as frogs and fish. However, there have been no reports concerning predation on caudata adults by larvae of dytiscids. In this paper, we describe a predation event by a larva of diving beetles of the species Dytiscus marginalis Linnaeus, 1758 on an adult Iberian newt Lissotriton boscai (Lataste, 1879). This report represents the first observation of hunting behavior of larvae of diving beetles preying on a living post-metamorphic newt.