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

New beetle and bugs make up for unremarkable moths

After a decent afternoon at the meadows on 28th May I set the light at home as usual and drew in a selection of moths over the night.  There was nothing very unexpected but the following were new for the year: Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, 2 Buff Ermines, Large Yellow Underwing, Mottled Rustic and Marbled White Spot.

Crescnt Bell Epinotia bilunana, North Elmham, 28th May

Buff Ermine, North Elmham, 28th May

Large Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 28th May

Mottled Rustic, North Elmham, 28th May

Marbled White Spot, North Elmham, 28th May

Other moths trapped that night were Common Mompha Mompha epilobiella, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 3 Common Swifts, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, Currant Pug, 6 Common Pugs, Brown Silver-line, Brimstone Moth, Pale Oak Beauty, Engrailed, Privet Hawk-moth, 2 Eyed Hawk-moths, 2 White Ermines, 4 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, Shears, 5 Common Wainscots, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 2 Brown Rustics, 5 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

Brown Rustic, North Elmham, 28th May

The following night this Clouded Silver was the only new moth for the garden year-list.

Clouded Silver, North Elmham, 29th May

The other moths were Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Cream Wave, Silver-ground Carpet, 7 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, Brimstone Moth, Scalloped Hazel, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Elephant Hawk-moths, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, 3 Pale Tussocks, 3 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, 3 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, 2 Common Wainscots, Rustic Shoulder-knot, Brown Rustic, 3 Treble Lines, Silver Y and 2 Spectacles.

Caddisflies conisted of 7 Limnephilus auricula and, new for the year, 2 Limnephilus lunatus.

Limnephilus lunatus, North Elmham, 29th May

This beetle on the ground near the trap proved to be Nebria brevicollis.  When keying it out on first attempt I misinterpreted the degree of swelling on the mandibles and the length of the palps so keying it to Leistus sp.  The Leistus key led me to Leistus rufomarginatus and the insect certainly looked a lot like the one I'd identified as that a while back (13th May).  But I noticed the size was slightly out and I decided to go back through the genus key and double check, at which point I realised it was Nebria not Leistus.  In hindsight I think I probably made the same mistake with the one on 13th May, and that that was probably Nebria brevicollis too, though I shan't record it as I no longer have the specimen to check.

Nebria brevicollis, North Elmham, 29th May

I found a Treble Brown Spot in the hall the following day, a new one for the year, and a Diamond-back Plutella xylostella in the garden.

Treble Brown Spot, North Elmham, 30th May

In the trap that night were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella, Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Clouded Border, Marbled Brown and 3 Straw Dots, all new species for the year.

Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, North Elmham, 30th May

Black-headed Dwarf Elachista atricomella, North Elmham, 30th May

Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, North Elmham, 30th May

Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 30th May

Marbled Brown, North Elmham, 30th May

Straw Dot, North Elmham, 30th May

There was a good selection of other moths too: 7 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 4 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Mottled Pugs, Currant Pug, 2 Common Pugs, White-pinion Spotted, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Pale Tussocks, 2 White Ermines, 4 Buff Ermines, 3 Heart and Darts, Shears, Lychnis, 4 Common Wainscots, 4 Treble Lines and Spectacle.

There was a single beetle in the trap, a new species for me Dasytes aeratus.

Dasytes aeratus, North Elmham, 30th May

There was also a Hydropsyche pellucidula (caddisfly) and 2 Psallus sp. (mirid bugs) which at first I left unidentified.  Thanks to Tristan Bantock I have just accessed an excellent key that enables me to make more progress with these and I have been able to establish that they were different species, one Psallus varians and the other either Psallus perrisi or Psallus wagneri.  Both were females and the perrisi/wagneri pair need male genitalia to resolve to speices level (though I think perrisi is much more likely, and a male caught nearby a few days later was indeed this species).

Pasllus varians, North Elmham, 30th May

Pasllus perrisi or Psallus wagneri, North Elmham, 30th May