A Field Study on Bio-Ecology of Hygrotus ahmeti (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey

Hygrotus (Coelambus) ahmeti Hajek. Fery and Erman, 2005 is endemic for Turkey and it has limited distribution. Aquatic insects were collected once a month from eight different habitats around Erzurum (cat district) during March-September 2009 period. H. ahmeti could be only sampled from one habitat. A total 546 insect specimens belonging to 27 species were sampled in this mountain meadow pond. H. ahmeti was a rare species in the study area (Distribution=12.5%). While the species were sampled with very low number during June-August period (one each specimen), it reached its peak (n=10) during September period. Habitat waters were determined as class I waters with regard to various parameters (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Cl, F, NH4, NO2, NO3, SO4, PO4, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH and conductivity). We believe that these findings will contribute to both determining the diversity of aquatic insects in mountain meadow ponds and bio-ecology of H. ahmeti.