This is an inland bug that occurs mainly in flooded gravel pits, pools and puddles on sandy clays and sandy gravels. This is very similar to Saldula palustris which is more confined to brackish estuarine mud flats. 

The bugs overwinter as adults and there may perhaps be two annual generations.

Distribution:

This is found in 8 sites and also 8 10km grid squares making it scarce in Northants. I have only found odd ones of the species but on one occasion at Lilbourne Meadows there was a population explosion after flood waters were receding and leaving fields of mud flats. They were found with a similar population explosion of S. saltatoria.

Habitat:

Found in flooded gravel pits , pools and puddles on sandy clays and sandy gravels.

Identification:

These are tricky to id and should always be done with a key until you are familiar with the group. Essentially these are black with fine and scarce pubescence, convex sides to the pronotum and the dark central streak to the fore-tibia is connected to the base and therefore looks like a dark line. However this is also similar to S. palustris and examination of the male clasper is needed with the length of pubescence (S. pallipes slightly shorter) and habitat.