Eretes sticticus
(Linnaeus, 1767)
western erete
Eretes sticticus, commonly known as the western erete, is a predaceous diving beetle in the Dytiscidae. It is notable for its specialized on mosquito larvae in aquatic . The has a remarkably wide distribution spanning Africa, the Middle East, the Americas from the southern United States to Peru, and has been recently documented in Romania. Its potential role in of mosquito has been documented in predation studies.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Eretes sticticus: /ˈɛrɛtiːz ˈstɪktɪkəs/
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Habitat
Aquatic environments including ponds and pools. Specific preferences beyond standing water are not documented.
Distribution
Africa; Middle East; Americas from southern United States to Peru; recently recorded in Romania (North Dobrogea). GBIF records also indicate presence in the Caribbean and Europe & Northern Asia.
Diet
Specialized of mosquito larvae. Has been observed to kill mosquito instar larvae, with success depending on prey size and .
Behavior
Aquatic with documented effectiveness in reducing mosquito larval in standing water .
Ecological Role
of mosquito larvae; potential role in natural regulation of mosquito in aquatic .
Human Relevance
Potential application in of mosquitoes due to documented on mosquito larvae.
More Details
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- Wikipedia
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Catalogue of Life
- Eretes sticticus (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) - A new record for the Romanian fauna, and new data regarding the distribution of two rare species - Acinopus ammophilus (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and Sphenoptera (Chilostetha) laportei (Coleoptera, Buprestidae) in Dobrogea (Romania)