A. sulcatas shows a generalist response to habitat choice, living in bogs, ponds, streams, etc.

A. sulcatus is found in water bodies with high and low levels of vegetation, showing no preference between the two.

[2] A. sulcatus is found over a large range and is not thought to face any pressures on the continuity of the species; as such, the beetle has not been evaluated by the IUCN.

A unique morph is, however, recognized in the Akfadou mountains of Algeria and has the potential to attain separate species status.

Habitat loss due to logging and allopatric separation from other populations means that the morph deserves special attention.

[3] Due to its fairly large distribution, A. sulcatus population numbers have been used as an aid in the measurement of the ecological health of wetlands.

[4] A. sulcatus is univoltine, with adults overwintering in deep permanent water bodies that neither dry out nor freeze completely.

Known for its high aquatic speed, A. sulcatus actively pursues prey rather than using a sit-and wait ambush strategy seen in other arthropods.

[8] The body is always wider than the height of the insect, and is streamlined (no spines or other chitinous structures protruding).

Aquatic beetles in the family Dytiscidae possess defensive glands used to secrete agents repellent and toxic to vertebrate predators.

[13] A. sulcatus is highly adapted for aquatic movement and can make effective use of its speed to escape threats.

When tested against 72 other common water beetle species, A. sulcatus was shown to have the highest movement velocity.

It has also been suggested that a 'humming' sound, produced by an interaction of the wings and the elytra, is used as a defensive strategy by causing an unpleasant vibrating sensation in the mouth of a predator.

[16] Although it has not been put into practice, laboratory tests have shown A. sulcatus to be a highly effective predator of mosquito larvae.

[17] Abjornsson, K., Wagner, B. M. A., Axelsson, A., Bjerselius, R. & Olse¨n, K. H. 1997 Responses of Acilius sulcatus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) to chemical cues from perch (Perca fluviatilis).

Taxonomy, phylogeny, and secondary sexual character evolution of diving beetles, focusing on the genus Acilius.

Taxonomic revision of the Holarctic diving beetle genus Acilius Leach (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae).