This water-cricket has only been recognised as being in Britain from 1951 and previously all Velia spp were recorded as Velia currens. It prefers still or slow flowing water bodies, margins un-vegetated stony sores. On the stony shores it is often under the edge of large stones. Less gregarious, not usually in large aggregations (BN, 2008).

Adults have been taken in April and June to September: the bug overwinters as an adult and has a single generation a year, larvae occurring in June and July.

Distribution:

Found in just 6 sites and 6 10km squares this is categorised as rare in Northants as flowing waters have limited bare, stony margins and more vegetation growth.

Habitat:

Found in still or slow flowing water bodies with un-vegetated margins and stony shores.

Identification:

The two species V.caprai and V.saulii can be tricky to tell apart with females being easier to identify than males. Males have two spines on the hind femur and the black markings on the connexivum are larger and more or less rectangular where triangular in V.caprai. Females have the connexivum directed vertically upwards, the apical tip is downcurved, the pronotum is longer, the hind edge convex and metatonum covered.