Review of 2019 and 2020 - Caddisflies: part 3 of Limnephilidae

Family LIMNEPHILIDAE (continued)



Limnephilus ignavus - One in my garden trap on 20th October 2019.  This was the third consecutive year I recorded one here but there was to be no repeat in 2020.

male Limnephilus ignavus, North Elmham, 20th October 2019

Limnephilus sparsus - A total of 14 caught in the garden between 26th August and 30th September 2019 and 10 between 21st May and 23rd October 2020, both less than half the number recorded here in 2018.  Also one at the meadows on 15th September 2019 and 2 there on 17th May 2020.  Elsewhere 1-2 at Hills and Holes, Whitwell Street, Penberth (Cornwall) and Tresidder (Cornwall).

male Limnephilus sparsus, North Elmham, 26th August 2019

male Limnephilus sparsus, North Elmham, 10th September 2019

Limnephilus sparsus, North Elmham, 25th September 2019

male Limnephilus sparsus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020

male Limnephilus sparsus, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

male Limnephilus sparsus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st August 2020

Limnephilus fuscicornis - None.  I've never found this species but are a few records in Norfolk so it's another one to keep an eye out for, although apparently it doesn't usually come to light so my chances might be quite low.


Limnephilus extricatus - a female in the garden moth trap on 16th May 2019 was my first ever.

female Limnephilus extricatus, North Elmham, 16th May 2019

Limnephilus centralis - None.  This is another one that I've not yet recorded.  It's quite widespread in east Norfolk but not many records in VC28 it seems.


Limnephilus hirsutus - Singles caught in the garden on 25th August 2019 and 22nd August 2020.  I've only caught this species on one other occasion - here in 2017.

male Limnephilus hirsutus, North Elmham, 25th August 2019 - showing side profile of the end of the abdomen

male Limnephilus hirsutus, North Elmham, 22nd August 2020 - showing side profile of the end of the abdomen

Limnephilus auricula - A total of 46 trapped here between 25th April and 16th November and 51 between 23rd April and 31st October 2020.  These totals compare with 103 in 2016 (when I wasnm't attempting to identify all of the caddisflies I caught) and 179 in 2018.  Although this species has two clear peaks, one in May and one in September-October, I have recorded it throughout the summer.  Elsewhere found at the meadows on 6 nights and 5 in Cornwall.

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

male Limnephilus auricula, North Elmham, 23rd October 2019

male Limnephilus auricula, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st November 2019

male Limnephilus auricula, North Elmham, 23rd April 2020

Limnephilus vittatus - In spring 2019 one caught in the garden on 3rd June then in the normally-larger autumn generation 5 between 22nd September and 20th October.  I caught more than this in each of the previous 2 years but 2020 was worse - just singles on 14th September and 1st October.

male Limnephilus vittatus, North Elmham, 3rd June 2019

male Limnephilus vittatus, North Elmham, 22nd September 2019

male Limnephilus vittatus, North Elmham, 1st October 2020

Chaetopteryx villosa - None - judging from the number of records showing on the NBN Atlas this must be one of the commonest caddisflies that I haven't seen yet - there are even records at 2 sites between here and the neighbouring village of Hoe.


Micropterna lateralis - None but I've caught 3 of these here before (2 in 2018).  One Mictopterna sp. was caught on 3rd June 2019 but I lost it before I could confirm which species was involved.


Micropterna sequax - Males caught at the meadows on 31st May and 30th June 2019 but none at home that year.  One here in 2020, on 19th May, and I've caught this species at home previously (2 in 2017).

male Micropterna sequax, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 31st May 2019

male Micropterna sequax, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

female Micropterna sequax, North Elmham, 19th May 2020

Stenophylax permistus - None.  I don't think either species of Stenophylax is very common in Norfolk but this one looks like it's the more plausible one to occur here.  (Update - it's plausibility is now confirmed - I caught one in my garden moth trap on 13th April 2021).


Potamophylax latipennis - None.  All 3 Potamophylax species occur in Norfolk (the others being cingulatus and rotundipennis) but this is the only one that appears to be common.  Not common enough for me to have ever encountered one though.


Halesus digitatus - None.  There are enough records of this species in Norfolk to make it worthwhile checking all my Halesus carefully for it, but so far they've all been the following species.


Halesus radiatus - 3 caught in the garden between 12th October and 13th November 2019 - a poor year considering that I had 15 here in 2018 but 2020 was a bit better with 8 between 15th October and 6th November.  Elsewhere 6 at Tresidder during my week in Cornwall in early October 2020.  Of the 17, 16 were males on which the genitalic features never quite look like the diagram in the Barnard and Ross Handbook but match the radiatus images that were on the trichoptera.insects-online.de website (the external appearance has also pointed to radiatus to a lesser or greater extent).

male Halesus radiatus, North Elmham, 12th October 2019

male Halesus radiatus, North Elmham, 18th October 2019

male Halesus radiatus, North Elmham, 13th November 2019

male Halesus radiatus, Tresidder (Cornwall), 7th October 2020

male Halesus radiatus, Tresidder (Cornwall), 8th October 2020 - showing abdomen partly cleared to make it easier to see the genitalic characters

male Halesus radiatus, North Elmham, 17th October 2020

male Halesus radiatus, North Elmham, 18th October 2020

male Halesus radiatus, North Elmham, 6th November 2020

Next page: Sericostomatidae plus

Or return to Caddisfly index

A new flower and a new hoverfly

It was another very quiet night for moths on 13th September with just 8 species, all macro: Blood-vein, Common Marbled Carpet, Brimstone Moth, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 3 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 2 Lunar Underwings, 2 Flounced Rustics and 3 Frosted Oranges.  But there was some interest among the other insects, including this Devil's Coach-horse beetle, a new species for the garden.  Perhaps the mites on it were new too, but I've no idea how to identify them...

Devil's Coach-horse Ocypus olens, North Elmham, 13th September

Among the caddisflies Limnephilus ignavus was my second ever and Halesus radiatus was new for the year.  Others were Limnephilus flavicornis, 10 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus sparsus.

Limnephilus ignavus (male), North Elmham, 13th September

Halesus radiatus (male), North Elmham, 13th September

Next day an early wander round the meadows produced this fine Roe Deer, one of the first I've seen actually on the meadows themselves (usually too much disturbance from dog-walkers).

Roe Deer, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th September

Butterflies included Small Copper and Comma.

Small Copper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th September

Comma, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th September

There were 7-spot Ladybirds, a Hornet and this hoverfly which proved to be my first Epistrophe grossulariae.

Epistrophe grossulariae, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th September

I didn't get round to identifying this umbellifer until recently - turns out it was Burnet-Saxifrage.  By no means an unusual plant but apparently the first time I've identified it.

Burnet-Saxifrage, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th September

That night at home moths included my first Pink-barred Sallow of the year.

Pink-barred Sallow, North Elmham, 14th September

This Ash-bud Moth Prays fraxinella wasn't new for the year but was a good deal rarer here - only my third record.

Ash-bud Moth Prays fraxinella, North Elmham, 14th September

Other moths were Wainscot Smudge Ypsolopha scabrella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Chinese Character, Single-dotted Wave, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, Sharp-angled Carpet, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Dusky Thorns, 2 Light Emeralds, Buff Ermine, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Square-spot Rustic, Common Wainscot, 3 Lunar Underwings, Sallow, 2 Flounced Rustics, Frosted Orange, Straw Dot and 7 Snouts.

There was one mayfly, one green lacewing: Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum and Chrysoperla carnea.  The caddisflies were 4 Mottled Sedges Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 6 Limnephilus auricula, 14 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus marmoratus. An Aphodius rufipes was the only beetle and a bug was probably Lygus pratensis but I seem to have lost the specimen to confirm it.  This hoverfly was Melangyna cincta, new for the year.

Melangyna cincta, North Elmham, 14th September

Next day I found a Corn Moth Nemapogon granella on the outside of my window of the front door, my fifth here since 2016.  Not bad for a moth that's only had six other records in Norfolk this millenium.  I don't think we have any stored grain or vegetable products here that are likely to hold a population of these so can only presume they are originating from somewhere else.  They do also breed on fungus, which was presumably the source of one that I netted up the road at the meadows earlier this year.

Corn Moth Nemapogon granella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 15th September

A few new moths for the year, a new leafhopper & a new caddis

The night of Tuesday 26th September delivered 3 new moths for the year: Turnip Moth, Red-line Quaker and Beaded Chestnut.

Turnip Moth, North Elmham, 26th September

Red-line Quaker, North Elmham, 26th September

Beaded Chestnut, North Elmham, 26th September

Also recorded that night were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Dusty Wave, 2 Mallows, Common Marbled Carpet, Feathered Thorn, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Square-spot Rustic, Black Rustic, Brown-spot Pinion, 15 Lunar Underwings, 2 Frosted Oranges, Snout, 9 Limnephilus lunatus (caddisflies) and Aphodius rufipes (beetle).

The following day I was birding in the Brancaster area and saw 2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophilia fabriciana east of Brancaster, at least 20 Red Admirals and a Comma along Broad Lane and 2 Small Coppers on the golf course.  I also found a pale yellow leafhopper on the golf-course which I subsequently identified as Edwardsiana rosae, a new one for me.

Comma, Brancaster, 27th September

Edwardsiana rosae (male, gen det), Brancaster, 27th September

That night Ashy Button Acleris sparsana and Green-brindled Crescent were new for the year.

Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, North Elmham, 27th September

Green-brindled Crescent, North Elmham, 27th September

Other moths were 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 3 Double-striped Tabbies Hypsopygia glaucinalis (a record count!), Blood-vein, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 2 Dusky Thorns, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Yellow Underwings, White-point, 5 Black Rustics, 2 Beaded Chestnuts, 5 Lunar Underwings, Pink-barred Sallow, 2 Sallows, Frosted Orange, Burnished Brass and 5 Snouts.

There lots of lacewings and caddisflies.  Predictably at this time of year most of the caddisflies were Chrysoperla carnea (10 confirmed males plus a couple of unconfirmed females) but there was also a late Dichochrysa flavifrons among them.  I recorded this species well into September last year but this year although I had lots (53) over the summer this was my first since 2nd August.  The caddisflies were 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, 8 Limnephilus auricula, 4 Limnephilus flavicornis, 2 Limnephilus marmoratus and 2 Limnephilus vittatus.

Other insects included another Pantilius tunicatus (bug), a Kybos sp. (leafhopper; probably betulicola but female smaragdula is indistinguishable) and an Aphodius rufipes (beetle).

Pantilius tunicatus, North Elmham, 27th September

The following night the moths were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana, 5 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Blood-vein, Common Marbled Carpet, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Feathered Thorns, Willow Beauty, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Black Rustic, Red-line Quaker, 4 Lunar Underwings and Frosted Orange.

The caddisflies were better, including one new for the year, Halesus radiatus, and one that was completely new to me, Limnophelus ignavus.  The others were 2 Mottled Sedges Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 3 Limnephilus affinis, 2 Limnephilus auricula and 4 Limnephilus lunatus.

Halesus radiatus (male), North Elmham, 28th September

Limnephilus ignavus (male), North Elmham, 28th September

No bugs or lacewings that night and Aphodius rufipes was the only beetle.

Next day this Brick was the only addition to the year list:

Brick, North Elmham, 29th September

There wasn't so much else that night: Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Blood-vein, 2 Mallows, Black Rustic, Lunar Underwing, Pink-barred Sallow, Straw Dot and the caddisflies Limnephilus flavicornis and 5 Limnephilus lunatus.

On the final night in September I caught 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, a late Small Fan-footed Wave, Feathered Thorn, Willow Beauty, 2 Beaded Chestnuts, Lunar Underwing, Sallow, Straw Dot, Snout, the caddisflies Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Grammotaulius nigropunctatus and 7 Limnephilus lunatus and the beetle Aphodius rufipes.

Small Fan-footed Wave, North Elmham, 30th September

October kicked of with Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Black Rustics, 2 Beaded Chestnuts, Lunar Underwing, Frosted Orange, Burnished Brass, 2 Straw Dots, Snout, 1-2 Chrysoperla carnea (green lacewings) and Limnephilus affinis, 2 Limnephilus auricula, 4 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus vittatus (caddisflies).