Water-skimming
Guides
Dianous
Dianous is a genus of rove beetles in the subfamily Steninae, characterized by their specialized ability to glide across water surfaces. All representatives of this genus possess pygidial glands that secrete alkaloid and terpene compounds, including stenusine and related molecules, which reduce water surface tension to enable rapid skimming locomotion. The genus has been documented across Europe, Asia, and North America, with particular taxonomic attention in China and Turkey where multiple new species have been described in recent years. Dianous species are specialist predators of small invertebrates.