Bionomics of Dytiscus alaskanus J. Balfour-Browne (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) in a central Alberta lake

Abstract

There are few studies of life history and population growth of large dytiscid beetles in North America. We sampled populations of Dytiscus alaskanus in a eutrophic lake in north central Alberta weekly in the summers of 1982 and 1983. Like many other temperate zone dytiscids, D. alaskanus has a univoltine life cycle. Dytiscus alaskanus prefers the area at the limit of emergent vegetation in the lake and is most often associated with shoreline vegetation of cattail and sedge. Populations of adult D. alaskanus are at a peak in the late spring and decline throughout the summer. Mark–recapture experiments allowed determination of total population size and monitoring of movement patterns in the lake. Data are discussed with reference to the relatively short summer with which these beetles must cope.