Aquatic Beetle Diversity in an Urban Freshwater Ecosystem: Insights from Banabitan Biodiversity Park, Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

This study was conducted from January 2024 to March 2025 at Banabitan Biodiversity Park, located at Salt Lake, Kolkata. The study aimed to document the diversity and species richness of aquatic beetles within the park’s extensive waterbody while concurrently assessing water quality parameters such as pH, Total Dissolved Solutes (TDS) and Electrical Conductivity (EC). 14 species across four families (Gyrinidae, Noteridae, Dytiscidae, and Hydrophilidae) were identified, with Hydrophilidae demonstrating the highest species richness (6 species), followed by Dytiscidae (5 species), Noteridae (2 species) and Gyrinidae (1 species). Concurrent water analyses revealed pH values ranging from 7 to 10, a TDS of 268 ± 10 ppm, and an EC of 441 ± 20 µs/cm, suggesting variable but generally favourable conditions for aquatic life. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that water quality parameters, especially pH, are significant drivers of species composition, with a marked negative relationship observed between increasing pH and beetle abundance.