This is a widespread and common bug found in a variety of habitats in Northants especially prefering some degree of organic pollution and can be abundant when the habitat suites. The species has a great facility for migrating and thus is often the first species in a new or temporary habitat: migrations take place at dusk. However, its numbers rapidly dwindle when later migrants arrive or conditions change (S&L, 1959). They feed on a mixed diet of animal, plant and detritus using their rostrum to suck out the food source (A.A.Savage, 1989). There are two generations of adults per year, the first by egg laid in April/May, the second by eggs laid in September and the adults then overwinter. Therefore they are present all year round with peak emergence periods in March and October.

Distribution:

Found in 57 sites across Northants this is found all the way down the Nene Valley in the Gravel Pits and scrapes. It is surprisingly lacking from South Northants sites although there is a little less recording in this area.

Habitat:

Found in a variety of still or slow flowing waters. Around Northants it seems to prefer early successional sites and is an early coloniser but not restricted to just this.

Identification:

Simplistically this is identified by the distinctive dark rectangular mark on the hind tarsus.

In Northants this is unlikely to be mistaken for anything else. Of the three other species of Corixidae with dark marks, Callicorixa wollastoni is not likely to be found and Sigara lateralis and Sigara concinna both of which have a dark mark on the last tarsus.