A study of the biology of Tropisternus lateralis nimbatus (Say), a hydrophilid beetle, was conducted in a playa on the southern high plains of Texas from early June 1995 through early September 1995. Mechanism of colonization, tolerance/avoidance to drought, larval density, and secondary production were analyzed. T. lateralis colonized playas from surrounding aquatic habitats and avoided drought through aerial dispersion. Colonization of the playa was immediate. Once in the playa, larval density increased over time. Estimated secondary production for T. lateralis in the playa was 1.86 g/m²/0.25 yr with a mean standing stock biomass of 0.0819 g/m². The cohort production interval was 14 d, resulting in an estimate of 7 discrete generations during playa fill.