They have a distinctive marble pattern on their wing cases and long legs which assist their movement through the water.

Their abdominal hairs are able to capture small air bubbles used to keep them afloat and these can often be seen upon close observation.

[1] S. arguta mouth parts are covered by a beak-like triangular labium.

[7] They are typically found in slow-moving bodies of water, such as rivers and streams, lakes, ponds and even man-made pools such as cow troughs.

[1] Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, this species is listed as "Not Threatened".