Review of 2019 and 2020 - Caddisflies: part 2 of Leptoceridae

Family LEPTOCERIDAE (continued)


Ceraclea albimacula - females caught in the garden trap on 16th and 17th July 2019 were identified as this species although the test version of the upcoming caddis guide says this species should have a white dorsal spot whereas the photos of these two clearly show that this spot was not white.  Having said that I spent a fair bit of time checking the genitalia against the images on the now-defunct trichoptera.insects-online.de website and I felt confident at the time.  These are difficult though, so maybe I got this wrong?  There was another individual that I wasn't so confident about on 29th July - I thought it was this species but wasn't totally sure.  Also recorded in 2017 and 2018 but none in 2020.

female Ceraclea albimacula, North Elmham, 16th July 2019

female Ceraclea albimacula, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

Ceraclea fulva - Females caught in the garden on 26th and 29th July 2019 were probably this species, and if so they would be new for the garden.  I had felt reasonably confident about the previous albimacula (above) but these two caused me more problems.  I examined them one after the other so was able to compare their genitalia side by side - there were differences between them but the differences between the two were pretty tiny.  Externally both were similar to one another, and different from the above albimacula, but I'm not sure how variable/overlapping the two species are externally - there are very few images online and for the most part it isn't clear that those that are online are necessarily labelled correctly.  I've not been able to establish whether the pale transverse line in the discal area is significant or not.  Anyway, after spending hours staring down a microscope and comparing what I could see with the diagrams in the RES Handbook and the images on trichoptera.insects-online.de (where albimacula was indexed as alboguttata but shown as albimacula on the page itself), I put the first down as fulva but left the second unidentified.  Coming back to it with fresh eyes at the end of the year, with only poor photos of the genitalia and not the actual bits, I shifted more towards them both being fulva, but still didn't feel confident enough about that to record them as such.  Maybe when I've got more experience and/or references for these I'll be able to come back and be more confident, but for now I think it best if I don't record these.  A complete blank on Ceraclea in 2020 didn't help expand my experience.  Comments welcome...

probable female Ceraclea fulva, North Elmham, 26th July 2019

probable female Ceraclea fulva, North Elmham, 29th July 2019

probable female Ceraclea fulva, North Elmham, 29th (left) and 26th (right) July 2019 - lateral, 2 dorsal and ventral views of genitalia

Ceraclea nigronervosa - None.  Judging from the NBN Atlas there are a few records of this species from the Wensum Valley but I don't think I've come across any yet.


Ceraclea dissimilis - At least one of 2 similar caddisflies caught on 23rd July 2019 proved to be a female of this species (the second wasn't retained).  There were at least 2 other caddisflies that I wasn't able to put a definite name to that resembled this species externally.

female Ceraclea dissimilis, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

Ceraclea senilis - None.  Although there appear to have been quite a lot of records of this species in Norfolk not many come from the Wensum Valley so perhaps it's no surprise I haven't found any yet.


Leptocerus tineiformis - A total of 16 in the garden moth trap between 24th June and 5th August 2019 but fewer in 2020 with 8 between 23rd June and 6th August.  Elsewhere 3 at the meadows on 30th June and 4 at Weybourne on 5th July 2019.  I identified most of these in the field in 2019 and only checked the genitalia of a selection; as such it was possible (if very unlikely) that I might have overlooked the odd lusitanicus among them so I checked all but one in 2020.

male Leptocerus tineiformis, North Elmham, 4th July 2019

female Leptocerus tineiformis, North Elmham, 23rd June 2020

female Leptocerus tineiformis, North Elmham, 30th July 2020

Mystacides azurea - one of the Black Silverhorns: a female trapped in the garden on 3rd August 2019 was my second identified here following one in 2016.  2020 was a better year with 3 between 26th June and 11th August 2020.  The first individual in 2020 showed a slightly cranulated apical excision in ventral appendages but very much less excavated than shown in the diagram of nigra in the Bernard and Ross Handbook so I think the ID as azurea is safe (the small lower appendages were also narrow as in diagram of azurea not as in nigra).

female Mystacides azurea, North Elmham, 3rd August 2019

female Mystacides azurea, North Elmham, 26th June 2020

female Mystacides azurea, North Elmham, 6th August 2020

female Mystacides azurea, North Elmham, 11th August 2020

Mystacides nigra - None.  This (the other Black Silverhorn) occurs in the Norfolk including the Wensum but going on the number of dots on the NBN Atlas it isn't nearly as common.  No surprise then that I haven't found one yet.


Grouse Wing Mystacides longicornis - 4 caught in the garden between 29th June and 7th August 2019.  I had nearly 60 here over the previous 3 years so this was a poor year.  Elsewhere in 2019 4 next door on 7th-8th August, singles at the meadows on 23rd and 30th June and one at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August.  The 2020 sesason kicked off with 4 at the meadows and 4 at home on 23rd June, followed by another 9 at home up to 10th August.

Grouse Wing Mystacides logicornis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

Grouse Wing Mystacides logicornis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Oecetis ochracea - None.  One in the garden on 16th September 2020, my first here since 2016.  Also one at the meadows on 17th May 2020.

female Oecetis ochracea, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020

female Oecetis ochracea, North Elmham, 16th September 2020

Oecetis lacustris - One at the meadows on 23rd June 2020 but although I recorded this species at home 3 times in 2016-17 I've not caught any here since then.

female Oecetis lacustris, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Oecetis furva - None.  Judging from the number of dots on the NBN Atlas this is much the scarcer of these 3 Oecetis species in Norfolk, but it was the only one of the 3 that I caught here in 2018.



That's it for the caddisflies - you can return to the Caddisfly index

An evening stroll locally produces two new moths

On the evening of Saturday 9th June I took a walk round Beetley Common and the adjacent private fishing pits.  I found a nice selection of moths including two lifers, Broad-barred Midget Phyllonorycter froelichiella and Brindled Argent Argyresthia curvella.

Broad-barred Midget Phyllonorycter froelichiella (female), Beetley Common, 9th June

Brindled Argent Argyresthia curvella (female), Beetley Common, 9th June

The others were Oak Carl Tischeria ekebladella, 3 Cork Moths Nemapogon cloacella, White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, 25 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, Grey-streaked Smudge Plutella porrectella, Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, 3 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, 14 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, Gold Swift, 4 Brown Silver-lines and 2 Straw Dots.

Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella (male, gen det), Beetley Common, 9th June

There were lots of caddisflies displaying around the lakeside willows.  Some, if not all, of them were Mystacides longicornis.

Mystacides longicornis (male), Beetley Common, 9th June

 This shieldbug appears to be a final instar Forest Bug (aka Red-legged Shieldbug).

final instar Forest Bug (Red-legged Shieldbug), Beetley Common, 9th June

This Banded Demoiselle was among the dragonflies.

Banded Demoiselle, Beetley Common, 9th June

Among the moths at home that night, Small Yellow Wave, 2 Heart and Clubs and Tawny Marbled Minor were new species for the year.

Small Yellow Wave, North Elmham, 9th June

Heart and Club, North Elmham, 9th June

Tawny Marbled Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 9th June

Other moths in the trap were Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, 2 London Dowds Blastobasis lacticolella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 10 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Treble Brown Spots, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, Barred Straw, Sharp-angled Carpet, 4 Common Pugs, 2 Clouded Borders, Light Emerald, 2 Elephant Hawk-moths, 2 White Ermines, 9 Buff Ermines, 4 Ingrailed Clays, Small Square-spot, 2 Brown Rustics, Middle-barred Minor, 2 Treble Lines, 2 Mottled Rustics, 6 Straw Dots and Snout.

Beetles were represented by Aphodius rufipes (new for the year) and Cantharis rufa.

Aphodius rufipes, North Elmham, 9th June

New caddis and new leafhopper

It's that time of year when I start getting really behind with a desk full of pots containing moths that need dissecting or other things that require close examination.  I'll do my best to keep up - or rather catch up - but no promises.

Last Monday (6th June) saw 25 species of moth at home including 7 new for the year (none of which were very unexpected): 5 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Light Emerald, Turnip Moth and Tawny Marbled Minor.

Light Emerald, North Elmham, 6th June

Small Magpie , North Elmham, 6th June

Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, North Elmham, 6th June

Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, North Elmham, 6th June

Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 6th June

The others were 18 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Common Swift, Blood-vein, Garden Carpet, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 2 Green Carpets, 4 Common Pugs, White Ermine, 2 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Small Square-spot, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Shears, Brown Rustic and 10 Treble Lines.

Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, North Elmham, 6th June

The following night was better with 36 species including another surge of Diamond-backs.  Another 7 were new for the year: Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Small Rivulet, Grey Pug, Shoulder-striped Wainscot and Mottled Rustic.

Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, North Elmham, 7th June

Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, North Elmham, 7th June

Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, North Elmham, 7th June

Shoulder-striped Wainscot, North Elmham, 7th June

Grey Pug (male, gen det), North Elmham, 7th June

The rest were 93 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 3 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Common Swift, Silver-ground Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, Sandy Carpet, 8 Common Pugs, Yellow-barred Brindle, Pale Tussock, Orange Footman, 4 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, 5 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, 2 Flame Shoulders, 4 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Shears, Marbled Minor, 2 Middle-barred Minors, 17 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, North Elmham, 7th June

Among the caddisflies Glyphotaelius pellucidus is now familiar, 2 Limnephilus lunatus were new for the year but one of the few caddisflies distinctive enough for me to have identified before getting the key this year, and 3 Mystacides longicornis, a species I think I recognise as having seen before but which I had not identified previously.

Limnephilus lunatus, North Elmham, 7th June

Mystacides longicornis, North Elmham, 7th June

Another pan-lifer came in the form of the leafhopper Oncopsis subangulata.

Oncopsis subangulata, North Elmham, 7th June