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

Family LIMNEPHILIDAE (continued)


Limnephilus affinis - A total of 21 caught in the garden between 12th September and 23rd October 2019 and 12 between 12th September and 11th November 2020 (none seen in either year in the April to June generation when they are always thinner on the ground).  Elsewhere one at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019.

female Limnephilus affinis, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Limnephilus affinis, North Elmham, 12th September 2019

female Limnephilus affinis, North Elmham, 29th September 2019

female Limnephilus affinis, North Elmham, 20th October 2019

male Limnephilus affinis, North Elmham, 12th September 2020

female Limnephilus affinis, North Elmham, 9th November 2020

Limnephilus incisus - None.  I've not seen this species but it does occur in Norfolk with small numbers of widespread records.


Limnephilus rhombicus - 5 singles caught in the garden between 15th July and 2nd September 2019 and 7 between 19th July and 20th August 2020.  Apparently much commoner next door as I caught 5 there on the only 4 nights I trapped there (7th to 10th August 2019).  Also 4 at the meadows and one at Hellesdon.

Limnephilus rhombicus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

Limnephilus rhombicus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

male Limnephilus rhombicus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

male Limnephilus rhombicus, North Elmham, 19th July 2020

Limnephilus flavicornis - 42 trapped in the garden between 7th June and 11th October 2019 and 37 between 3rd June and 24th October 2020, these totals being slightly less that I caught here in 2018.  Elsewhere 10 at the meadows, one at Whitwell Street and one at Hellesdon.  There are always considerably more in the autumn period (peaking mid August to mid October, especially September) than in the early summer period (peaking June to mid July).

female Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

male Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 4th July 2019

Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

female Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 22nd September 2019

male Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 26th September 2019

female Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 14th June 2020

male Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 24th September 2020

Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 26th September 2020

male Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 16th October 2020

Limnephilus lunatus - This is easily the commonest caddisfly here and I caught a total of 595 in the garden trap between 4th June and 19th December 2019 and 624 between 30th May and 21st December 2020 (the last being my latest ever).  Maximum counts in each year were 47 on 23rd September 2019 and 34 on 22nd September 2020.  Elsewhere 3 next door, 104 at the meadows including 25 to LED lights on 15th September 2019 and 20 on 8th September 2020, and 1-2 at Swanton Great Wood, Whitwell Street, Hellesdon, Weybourne and Row Heath (West Runton).  Also singles on 6 out of 7 nights trapping at Tresidder in Cornwall in early October 2020.

female Limnephilus lunatus, North Elmham, 21st June 2019

Limnephilus lunatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

Limnephilus lunatus, North Elmham, 1st November 2019

Limnephilus lunatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th November 2019

Limnephilus lunatus, North Elmham, 30th May 2020

Limnephilus marmoratus - a total of 11 trapped here between 5th June and 22nd September 2019 and 13 between 7th June and 2nd October 2020 - both considerably lower totals than in 2017 abnd 2018.  Elsewhere singles next door, at the meadows, Bintree Wood, Whitwell Street and Hellesdon.

female Limnephilus marmoratus, North Elmham, 5th June 2019

Limnephilus marmoratus, North Elmham, 6th August 2019

male Limnephilus marmoratus, North Elmham, 7th September 2019

male Limnephilus marmoratus, North Elmham, 6th June 2020

female Limnephilus marmoratus, North Elmham, 4th August 2020

male Limnephilus marmoratus, North Elmham, 22nd September 2020

male Limnephilus marmoratus, North Elmham, 27th September 2020

Limnephilus politus - None.  I'm yet to find this species but there are a scattering of records in Norfolk so it might crop up here at some point.


Limnephilus binotatus - One in the garden trap on 16th May 2019 was only my second here following one in 2016.  Elsewhere caught at the meadows on 22nd April and 25th and 31st May 2019.  None recorded in 2020.

female Limnephilus binotatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019

male Limnephilus binotatus, North Elmham, 16th May 2019

male Limnephilus binotatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

Limnephilus decipiens - One caught in the garden on 7th October 2019 but none in 2020.  I had 2 here in 2018 and one the year before.

male Limnephilus decipiens, North Elmham, 7th October 2019

Limnephilus bipunctatus - None.  I'm yet to record this species but it occurs in Norfolk, albeit thinly spread, so it's one to look out for.


Limnephilus elegans - one to light at Teanga Brideig on Mull on 13th June 2019.  This species is rather rare in the east of England but I had one in the garden here in 2018 which was apparently only the second or third record in Norfolk.

male Limnephilus elegans, Teanga Brideig (Mull), 13th June

Limnephilus griseus - None.  I found this species at 2 locations in the Brecks/Fens in 2016 when I first started looking at caddisflies seriously, so got the impression it was commoner than it is - I haven't seen any since.  Looking at the NBN Atlas it looks like it may not have been recorded in the Wensum Valley, so I may have to be lucky to find one locally.


Limnephilus luridus - None.  Another one that has a scattering of records from Norfolk but which I've not come across yet.


Next page: more Limnephilidae

Or return to Caddisfly index

A rush of new autumnal moths for the year

A relatively good night on 27th September produced no less than four new macro moths for the year: Feathered Thorn, Black Rustic, Brick and Red-line Quaker.

Feathered Thorn, North Elmham, 27th September

Black Rustic, North Elmham, 27th September

Brick, North Elmham, 27th September

Red-line Quaker, North Elmham, 27th September

Other moths that night were London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 22 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Small Dusty Wave, 2 Treble Brown Spots, 3 Riband Waves, Common Marbled Carpet, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 19 Lunar Underwings, Barred Sallow, Pink-barred Sallow and 2 Snouts.

There was a selection of caddisflies: Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus affinis, 3 Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus flavicornis, 3 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus sparsus. There was also the barkfly Ectopsocus petersi and 2 beetles Aphodius rufipes.  On the ground by the trap were another two beetles, Nebria brevicollis, and a Common Frog.

Well that little burst of activity was short-lived and it was back to normal the following night with just 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 12 Lunar Underwings and Sallow - oh, and a Common Earwig.

Just a Shuttle-shaped Dart and 18 Lunar Underwings on 29th.

It was a bit better again on 30th with Pine Carpet being the best moth.  It seems like these are getting commoner, or perhaps I was just a bit unlucky with them when I started mothing?  The other moths were Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Dusty Wave, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Red-line Quaker, 3 Beaded Chestnuts, 23 Lunar Underwings and Sallow.

Pine Carpet, North Elmham, 30th September

There was a noteworthy caddisfly too, my first Limnephilus decipiens of the year.  The only other caddis were 3 Limnephilus lunatus.

Limnephilus decipiens, North Elmham, 30th September

Next day I headed down to Cornwall for a few days - more about that shortly...

Leafhoppers

A Red-green Carpet was new for the year at home on 15th October.  Other moths that night were Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 4 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Common Marbled Carpet, 7 November Moths, Black Rustic, 3 Green-brindled Crescents, 2 Red-line Quakers, Beaded Chestnut, Lunar Underwing and Straw Dot.   There were also caddisflies: 3 Limnephilus lunatus and Halesus radiatus.

At Burnham Overy the next day there was the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea among the Sea Buckthorn, a Small Copper and 4 Red Admirals, and the barkfly Graphopsocus cruciatus.

Graphopsocus cruciatus, Burnham Overy, 16th October

That afternoon it became eerily dark quite early on with calm conditions and dark grey cloud.  This prompted my to override the timer on my moth trap with a view to putting it on early.  Somehow in doing so I blew the electrics and so was forced to use my old Skinner trap for the next couple of nights (not quite as good at holding moths compared to the Robinsons).  I misdiagnosed the fault initially - it turned out to be the bulb so I could have just swapped the bulbs over but it took me a couple of days to realise that.  Anyway in the Skinner trap that night were Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 November Moths, Green-brindled Crescent, Merveille du Jour, Chestnut, Red-line Quaker, Yellow-line Quaker, 2 Beaded Chestnuts, Lunar Underwing, Barred Sallow, Chrysoperla carnea agg. and Limnephilus lunatus.

The following night was reasonably good with Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, 7 November Moths, Feathered Thorn, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Green-brindled Crescents, Merveille du Jour, Brick, 6 Beaded Chestnuts, Rosy Rustic and Burnished Brass.

Brick, North Elmham, 17th October

Four species of caddisflies included my first Limnephilus decipiens for the garden (closely following my first ever at Bacton Wood on 14th).  The others were Limnephilus affinis, 10 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus vittatus.

Limnephilus decipiens, North Elmham, 17th October

The following night was excellent for the time of year - 76 moths of 21 species: a record 7 Garden Midgets Phyllonorycter messaniella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Red-green Carpet, 6 November Moths, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 8 Large Yellow Underwings, 6 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Black Rustics, 6 Green-brindled Crescents, 3 Merveille du Jours, 2 Satellites, 4 Yellow-line Quakers, 11 Beaded Chestnuts, 2 Barred Sallows, Sallow, 2 Angle Shades, Rosy Rustic, Large Wainscot, 7 Straw Dots and Snout.

Red-green Carpet, North Elmham, 18th October

There were also 33 caddisflies: Limnephilus affinis, 3 Limnephilus auricula, 2 Limnephilus flavicornis and an impressive 27 Limnephilus lunatus.  Other insects included 4 Chrysoperla carnea (2 males, 2 agg. females), the bug Pinalitus cervinus and the water beetle Rhantus suturalis and, new for the year, the barkfly Valenzuela flavidus.

Valenzula flavidus, North Elmham, 18th October

It was the leafhoppers that provided the most interest though, with no less than 3 species all identified for the first time.  I'd trapped quite a few Kybos sp. previously including 4 females already this year that were either betulicola or smaragdula, but not fully identifable as females.  It would only be a matter of time before an identifiable male turned up and tonight was its turn, a male Kybos betulicola.

Kybos betulicola, North Elmham, 18th October

A Eupteryx melissae was a little more distinctive, and new for me.

Eupteryx melissae, North Elmham, 18th October

I've trapped quite a lot of plain yellow leafhoppers before and thought they were (at least) one of the difficult-to-identify Edwardsiana species.  In fact some examples of Fagocyba sp. are similar and I hadn't properly ruled those out.  Indeed, armed with online keys I'd not found until relatively recently I identified the four I caught on this occasion as Fagocyba cruenta.

Fagocyba cruenta, North Elmham, 18th October