Aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) of Wadi Qana (Palestine): species inventory and habitat characterisation

Aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) are important components of freshwater ecosystems, where they contribute to predation, scavenging, and nutrient cycling. In the West Bank, Palestine, knowledge of aquatic beetle diversity remains limited and fragmented. This study provides a taxonomic inventory and habitat characterisation of aquatic Coleoptera in Wadi Qana, Salfit Governorate, based on a combination of literature review and field sampling conducted between December 2022 and December 2023. A total of five families, 11 genera, and 11 species of aquatic beetles were recorded. The assemblage includes new distributional records for Wadi Qana, and several taxa that may represent potential first records for Palestine pending further taxonomic confirmation. The recorded families were Dytiscidae, Hydrophilidae, Helophoridae, Noteridae, and Haliplidae. Species were mainly associated with lentic and lotic habitats characterised by varying degrees of vegetation cover, including emergent and submerged macrophytes, while some taxa were restricted to stagnant or slow-flowing microhabitats such as pools and marshy areas. This work provides a baseline taxonomic, distributional and habitat use reference for aquatic Coleoptera in Wadi Qana and contributes to the broader understanding of freshwater biodiversity in Palestine, supporting future surveys and conservation efforts.