Dispersal is a fundamental ecological process that can influence population dynamics, species distributions, and community assembly, but little data exist on the factors that affect dispersal of insects in natural populations. Adult predaceous diving beetles are active dispersers and are important predators in isolated aquatic habitats. We performed field and laboratory studies to determine if habitat complexity (aquatic plant density) or adult densities were important factors affecting dispersal in two common pond-inhabiting species in Alberta, Canada: Graphoderus occidentalis and Rhantus sericans . Field experiments were conducted before (June) and after (July) ponds had begun to dry. Both species exhibited density dependent dispersal, but each species displayed this phenomenon at different times (June: G. occidentalis , July: R. sericans). Field experiments demonstrated that R. sericans was unaffected by habitat complexity in either month, whereas adults of G. occidentalis were more likely to disperse when complexity was high for the pre-drying period, suggesting that this species may prefer open water habitats when water levels are high. Sampling of unmanipulated ponds in July revealed that densities of R. sericans were significantly and positively related to water depth but not complexity, whereas G. occidentalis densities were unrelated to either factor. Laboratory behavioral assays were conducted to determine how beetle movement and activity patterns changed in response to variation in plant density, water depth, and with changes in abundances. Identifying species-dependent patterns of dispersal likely are important for understanding beetle populations, especially with regard to temporal and spatial dynamics of this understudied group.