Water Cricket - Velia caprai

Description

Length: up to 8.5mm. May be winged or wingless. It has a stouter and shorter body than pondskaters, with two transverse red lines along the abdomen in adults plus pairs of white spots on the thorax and abdomen.

Similar Species

Velia saulii is very similar, though much less common in VC55. Velia caprai is best identified from wingless females which show a narrow, sinuous collar-like tergum immediately below the thorax which is lacking in V. saulii.

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

There are two very similar Water Crickets. A good dorsal macro photo of a wingless female should show the key ID feature. Without a suitable photo you should explain your ID method.

Habitat

Still and slow moving water and streams. Rarely in ponds.

When to see it

All year (adults over-winter)

Life History

The eggs are laid in long rows on floating plants and are found in May and June, nymphs from June to August. Adults feed on various small insects that have died and fallen into the water. Five larval stages, and two or three generations a year have been observed.

UK Status

Common throughout Britain.

VC55 Status

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Water Cricket
Species group:
Bugs
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Hemiptera
Family:
Veliidae
Records on NatureSpot:
18
First record:
24/05/2008 (Nicholls, David)
Last record:
29/06/2024 (Cann, Alan)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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