Trichoptera: Limnephilidae of Gunnison County, ColoradoIntroduction to the caddis genus Limnephilus
Northern Caddisflies, Summer Flier Sedges Leach in Brewster 1815
Updated 23 February 2026
TSN 116069
This genus is common and diverse in the upper Gunnison basin. Limnephilus larvae display a variety of case materials and structures. They can be found in permanent and temporary ponds and marshes.
The caddis on the right was crawling around one of the kettle ponds south of Gothic on the 9th of June 2010. Notice the striped head and a few legs sticking out of the case on the right side. I'm pretty sure it's a Limnephilus sp, probably one of the species below that have been identified from adults in Gunnison County.
Provisional Species List
Limnephilus abbreviatus
Limnephilus castor
Limnephilus coloradensis
Limnephilus externus
Limnephilus hyalinus
Limnephilus indivisus
Limnephilus moestus
Limnephilus picturatus
Limnephilus productus
Limnephilus rohweri
Limnephilus secludens
Limnephilus spinatus
Limnephilus sublunatus
Limnephilus tarsalis
Good Links
On this website:
Introduction to the Limnephilidae
Other Websites:
Photos, Map, Taxon Identifier Numbers - from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility Limnephilus at GBIF
Photos, Map, Museums, DNA - Barcode of Life Data System
Seriochemicals of the genus Limnephilus https://www.pherobase.com/database/genus/genus-Limnephilus.php
References
Balik,JA; Taylor,BW; Washko,SE and Wissinger,SA 2018 High interspecific variation in nutrient excretion within a guild of closely related caddisfly species. Ecosphere, 9(5) p.e02205. PDF
Abstract: "Understanding the amount of variation in functional traits between closely related species within guilds is critical for understanding links between community composition and ecosystem processes. Nutrient excretion is an important link between animals and their environments, and aquatic invertebrate communities can supply a considerable proportion of ecosystem nutrient demand via excretion. We quantified nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) excretion rates of 10 species of larval caddisflies that inhabit high-elevation ponds and wetlands to determine the magnitude of variation in nutrient excretion within this guild. We found considerable interspecific variation in biomass-specific excretion of nitrogen (eightfold differences), phosphorus (sevenfold differences), and the stoichiometric N:P ratios (fivefold differences). Through a meta-analysis, we compared the variation within this guild to the variation found in other family-level species assemblages to determine the overall range in the variation of nutrient excretion that could be expected across guilds and to determine whether the variation in this caddisfly guild is comparatively extreme, average, or low. The meta-analysis revealed a large range in variation among guilds, and comparatively, the variation within this caddisfly guild is high for N excretion and intermediate for P excretion. The considerable variation within guilds revealed by our metaanalysis suggests that functional redundancy among guild members is difficult to predict. Thus, some natural or human-caused species gains or losses within biological groupings such as guilds and trophic levels could have little or no effect on ecosystem processes, whereas others could have very large effects." Species discussed are Asynarchus nigriculus, Grammotaulius lorrettae, Limnephilus externus, Limnephilus picturatus, Limnephilus secludens, Limnephilus sublunatus, Limnephilus tarsalis, Hesperophylax occidentalis, Agrypnia deflata and starting in 2017 - Nemotaulius hostilis.
Batista,D; Pascoal,C and Cássio,F 2020 The increase in temperature overwhelms silver nanoparticle effects on the aquatic invertebrate Limnephilus sp. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 39(7), pp.1429-1437. PDF
Abstract: "The effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been largely explored, but there is still a lack of knowledge on their effects under the predicted changes in temperature as a consequence of climate change. The aim of the present study was to determine how leaf consumption by invertebrate shredders is affected by dietary exposure to AgNPs and AgNO3 and whether changes in temperature alter such effects. Also, responses of antioxidant enzymes were examined. In microcosms, the invertebrate shredder Limnephilus sp. was allowed to feed on alder leaves treated with AgNPs (5, 10, and 25 mg L-1) and AgNO3 (1 mg L-1) at 10, 16, and 23 °C (6 replicates). After 5 d, the animals were transferred to clean water and allowed to feed on untreated leaves. The higher leaf consumption by the shredder was related to temperature increase and to the contamination of leaves with AgNPs and AgNO3. Results from enzymatic activities demonstrated that AgNP contamination via food induce oxidative and neuronal stress in the shredder: the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase were positively correlated with total Ag accumulated in the animal body. Moreover, glutathione S-transferase activity was strongly associated with higher temperature (23 °C). Overall results indicated that the effects of toxicants on consumption rates and enzymatic activities are modulated by temperature and suggested that increases in temperature changes the AgNP effects on invertebrate shredder performance. "
Berte,SB and Pritchard,G 1983 The structure and hydration dynamics of Trichopteran (Insecta) egg masses. Canadian Journal of Zoology 61, 378-384.
Cavallaro,MC; Liber,K; Headley,JV; Peru,KM and Morrissey,CA 2018 Community-level and phenological responses of emerging aquatic insects exposed to 3 neonicotinoid insecticides: An in situ wetland limnocorral approach. Environmental toxicology and chemistry, 37(9), pp.2401-2412. PDF
Abstract: "Seasonal aquatic insect emergence represents a critical subsidy link between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Early and late instar larvae developing in wetlands near neonicotinoid-treated cropland can be at risk of chronic insecticide exposure. In the present study, an in situ wetland limnocorral experiment compared emergent insect community responses to imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam. Twenty-one limnocorrals were dosed weekly for 9 wk to target peak nominal doses of 0.0, 0.05, or 0.5 µg/L, followed by a 6-wk recovery period. Thirty-nine aquatic insect taxa were recorded but 11 taxa groups made up 97% of the community composition. Principal response curves (PRCs) indicated that during the dosing period, community composition among the treatments resembled the controls. During the 6-wk recovery period, significant deviance was observed in the high imidacloprid treatment with similar trends in the clothianidin treatment, suggesting that community effects from neonicotinoid exposure can be delayed. Non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) and damselflies (Odonata: Zygoptera) emerged 18 to 25 d earlier than controls in the imidacloprid and clothianidin neonicotinoid treatments, with no effects from thiamethoxam treatments. These data suggest that phenology and subtle community effects can occur at measured neonicotinoid concentrations of 0.045 (imidacloprid) and 0.038 µg/L (clothianidin) under chronic repeated exposure conditions. Synchronization and community dynamics are critical to aquatic insects and consumers; thus, neonicotinoids may have broad implications for wetland ecosystem function. "
Curtis,J 1835 British Entomology being Illustrations and Descriptions of the Genera of Insects found in Great Britain and Ireland Containing Coloured Figure from Nature of the Most Rare and Beautiful Species, and in Many Instances of the Plants Upon Which They are Found. Richard Taylor, London. vol. IV.
Curtis redescribes the genus Limnephilus in this book.
Denis,C 1977: Larval and imaginal diapause in Limnephilidae. Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Trichoptera, Junk, The Hague. 109-115.
Dodds GS and Hisaw FL. 1925. Ecological studies on aquatic insects. IV. Altitudinal range and zonation of mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies in the Colorado Rockies. Ecology 6(4)380-390. Abstract PDF
Flint,OS, Jr. 1960 Taxonomy and biology of Nearctic limnephilid larvae (Trichoptera), with special reference to species in eastern United States. Entomologica American 40:1-117.
Herrmann,SJ; Ruiter,DE and Unzicker,JD 1986 Distribution and records of Colorado Trichoptera. Southwestern Naturalist 31 4, 421-457.
Holomuzki,JR 1983 Predatory behavior of larval Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum on Limnephilus (Trichoptera) larvae. Western North American Naturalist 43(3) 475-476. PDF
Johansson,A; Johansson,F 1992 Effects of two different caddisfly case structures on predation by a dragonfly larva. Aquatic Insects 14 2, 73-84.
Leach WE. 1815. Entomology. Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopaedia. 9:57-102.
Liess,M; Schulz,R 1996 Chronic effects of short-term contamination with the pyethroid insecticide fenvalerate on the caddisfly Limnephilus lunatus. Hydrobiologia 324, 99-106.
Llyod,JT 1921 The biology of the North American caddisfly larvae. Bulletin of the Llyod Library 21.
Neldner,KH Pennak, RW 1955 Seasonal faunal variations in a Colorado alpine pond. American Midland Naturalist 53(2) 419-430.
Abstract: "Trail Ridge Pond is a permanent body of water about 30 x 70 m and 1 m deep at an elevation of 11,500 feet in northern Colorado. The plankton and bottom fauna were sampled quantitatively during the entire open season at intervals of 7 to 12 days from June 29 to October 29, 1950. Qualitative studies were also made on the macrometazoans living in the shoreline areas and Carex growths. The pond freezes solidly during the winter, and the 1950 maximum summer temperature was 16.1°C on July 29. Dissolved salts ranged from 21.5 to 48.1 mg per liter. Hydrogen ion concentration determinations ranged from pH 6.5 to 7.3. Zooplankton and phytoplankton populations were much more scanty than those in large barren oligotrophic lakes. Entomostraca and rotifers each averaged less than one individual per liter of pond water. Tendipedid larvae and Pisidium (seed clams) attained their maximum abundance in the superficial layers of bottom mud just as the last of the ice was disappearing from the pond on July 14. The former reached 1904 individuals per square meter and the latter 1470. On June 29 only small numbers of tendipedids and no Pisidium were found, and it is concluded that there was a mass migration out of the deeper strata of the bottom deposits during the ensuing two weeks. Following July 14 the population tapered off to a level of 100 to 400 per square meter during September and October. Tubificid oligochaete populations varied irregularly from 0 to 168 individuals per square meter. The phyllopod Branchinecta shantzi was the most characteristic macrometazoan in the pond. It had a bimodal population curve, with distinct peaks on July 29 and September 24. Small numbers of the following were present near the shoreline: Limnephilus larvae (Trichoptera); Agabus and Ilybius (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae); Arctocorisa, Sigara, and Notonecta (Hemiptera); Hydracarina; Prionocera, Stratiomyia, Aedes, and Metriocnemus larvae (Diptera). The dominant and characteristic organisms of Trail Ridge Pond are the tendipedid-Pisidium-Branchinecta community. In general, the pond has an impoverished fauna, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and it is believed that the very short open season and the complete winter freeze of the water mass are important contributing factors. Trail Ridge Pond is compared with other subarctic and mountain tundra ponds in both North America and Europe."
Nimmo, A 1971 The adult Rhyacophilidae and Limnephilidae (Trichoptera) of Alberta and eastern British Columbia and their post glacial origin. Quaestiones Entomologicae 73: 3-234.
Has information on western adult Limnephilus.
Nimmo,AP 1991 Seven new species of Limnephilus from Western North America with description of female of L. pallens (Banks) (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae, Limnephilinae, Limnephilini). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 93 2, 499-508.
Nimmo,AP 1995 New species of Hydropsychidae and Limnephilidae (Insecta, Trichoptera) from the far east of Russia, with description of a new genus of Limnephilidae (Limnephilini). Occasional Papers on Trichoptera Taxonomy 1, 1-15.
Ross,HH 1950 Synoptic notes on some nearctic Limnephilid caddisflies (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae). American Midland Naturalist 43 2, 410-429.
Ross,HH; Merkley,DR 1952 An annotated key to the nearctic males of Limnephilus (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae). American Midland Naturalist 47:435-455.
Keys Limnephilus adults. A newer key for Limnephilus is Ruiter's, (see below) published in 1995.
Rouhova,L; Zurovcova,M; Hradilova,M; Sery,M; Sehadova,H and Zurovec,M 2024 Comprehensive analysis of silk proteins and gland compartments in Limnephilus lunatus, a case-making trichopteran. BMC genomics, 25(1), p.472. HTML
Abstract: "Caddisfly larvae produce silk containing heavy and light fibroins, similar to the silk of Lepidoptera, for the construction of underwater structures. We analyzed the silk of Limnephilus lunatus belonging to the case-forming suborder Integripalpia. We analyzed the transcriptome, mapped the transcripts to a reference genome and identified over 80 proteins using proteomic methods, and checked the specificity of their expression. For comparison, we also analyzed the transcriptome and silk proteome of Limnephilus flavicornis. Our results show that fibroins and adhesives are produced together in the middle and posterior parts of the silk glands, while the anterior part produces enzymes and an unknown protein AT24. The number of silk proteins of L. lunatus far exceeds that of the web-spinning Plectrocnemia conspersa, a previously described species from the suborder Annulipalpia. Our results support the idea of increasing the structural complexity of silk in rigid case builders compared to trap web builders."
Ruiter,DE 1995 The genus Limnephilus Leach (Trichoptera:Limnephilidae) of the new world. Vol. 11. Ohio Biological Survey, College of Biological Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. 200 pages.
The best key for adult Limnephilus.
Schmitz, EH 1959 Seasonal biotic events in two Colorado alpine tundra ponds. American Midland Naturalist, 61(2) 424-446 Abstract
They found Limnephilus sp. in Washboiler Pond and Dead Hat Pond on the western slope of the Continental Divide in Summit County, Colorado, at an elevation of 3,582 meters (11,750 feet).
Tindall,AR 1963 The skeleton and musculature of the thorax and limbs of the larva of Limnephilus sp. (Trichoptera: Limnophilidae). Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 115: 409-477.
Tindall,AR 1963 Some observations on the physiology of the larval abdominal muscles of Limnephilus (Trichoptera). Journal of Insect Physiology 9: 563-572.
Tindall,AR 1965 The functioning of the leg in the larva of Limnephilus (Trich., Limnephilidae). The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 101: 34-41.
Usis,JD; Foote,BA 1991 Influence of strip-mining on the mortality of a wetland caddisfly, Limnephilus indivisus (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae). Great Lakes Entomologist 24 (3) 133-143.
Vshivkova,T, Morse,JC, and Ruiter,D 2007 Phylogeny of Limnephilidae and composition of the genus Limnephilus (Limnephilidae, Limnephilinae, Limnephilini). Pages 309-319 in Bueno-Soria, Joaquín, Barba-Álvarez, Rafael, Armitage, Brian J. (eds.) Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Trichoptera. Columbus, Ohio, The Caddis Press. PDF
Abstract: "A world revision of the genus Limnephilus (Trichoptera: Integripalpia, Limnephilidae, Limnephilinae, Limnephilini) was undertaken as a part of an intensive taxonomic work on the family Limnephilidae. During this work, it became apparent that careful investigation of phylogenetic relationships of the whole family was necessary. Before character polarities can be determined for the species of Limnephilus, the constituent species of the genus must be decided as well as the relationships of the genus to other genera in Limnephilidae.
The family and included taxa were analyzed with modern phylogenetic techniques. For phylogenetic analyses, morphological characters of adults and immature stages were used, including traditionally used characters and some that have been poorly investigated or never studied. As a result of the analysis, new hypotheses of relationships are proposed among Plenitentoria taxa. For the first time, monophyly is inferred for the following nominotypical taxa: superfamily Limnephiloidea, family Limnephilidae, subfamily Limnephilinae, tribe Limnephilini, and Limnephilus sensu stricto. Some other higher taxa are distinguished based on high bootstrap support, unreversed synapomorphies, and/or topography, including a new family-group category for Trichoptera, "Branch," more inclusive than the family category and less inclusive than the superfamily category. These new taxa in Limnephiloidea are as follows: Brachycentrida New Branch (including families Brachycentridae and Lepidostomatidae), Goerida New Branch (including families Apataniidae, Goeridae, and Rossianidae), Limnephilida New Branch {including Uenoidae, Vergeridae New Family (including Verger), Cryptochiidae New Family (including Cryptochia), Dicosmoecidae Schmid, 1955, New Status [including subfamilies Dicosmoecinae (including Allocosmoecus, Amphicosmoecus, Dicosmoecus, Eocosmoecus, and Onocosmoecus), Archeophylacinae New Subfamily (including Archeophylax, Anomalocosmoecus, Austrocosmoecus, and Platycosmoecus), Nothopsychinae New Subfamily (including Ironoquia and Nothopsyche), and Metacosmoecinae New Subfamily (including Metacosmoecus)], Ecclisomyiidae New Family (including Ecclisomyia), Philocascidae New Family (including Philocasca), and Limnephilidae}. Apart from several basal genera incertae sedis, family Limnephilidae is comprised of subfamilies Pseudostenophylacinae (including Pseudostenophylax), Hydatophylacinae New Subfamily (including Hydatophylax and Pycnopsyche), Drusinae (including Anomalopterygella, Cryptothrix, Drusus, Ecclisopteryx, Hadiminia, Leptodrusus, and Metanoea), Chilostigminae Schmid, 1955, New Status (including Brachypsyche, Chilostigma, Chilostigmodes, Desmona, Frenesia, Glyphopsyche, Grensia, and Psychoglypha), and Limnephilinae. Apart from several basal genera incertae sedis, subfamily Limnephilinae now is comprised of the two tribes Chaetopterygini (including Annitella, Badukiella, Chaetopteroides, Chaetopterygopsis, Chaetopteryx, Chionophylax, Pseudopsilopteryx, and Psilopteryx) and Limnephilini (including Anabolia, Arctopora, Asynarchus, Clistoronia, Colpotaulius, Glyphotaelius, Grammotaulius, Halesochila, Lenarchus, Lepnevaina, Leptophylax, Limnephilus, Nemotaulius, Philarctus, Platycentropus, Rivulophilus, Sphagnophylax, Thermophylax, and several species that are no longer in Limnephilus and will likely be assigned to new genera). Thus, as a result of this analysis, some genera of the former Limnephilidae are transferred to different subfamilies and tribes and the placement of the nominotypical genus Limnephilus and sister genera of the Limnephilus sensu stricto is resolved. Furthermore, only 57 of the 197 species currently included in Limnephilus are recognized as Limnephilus sensu stricto (about 25% of Limnephilus sensu lato). Other species should be removed from the genus and classified in other genera."
Wiggins,GB 1973 A contribution to the biology of caddisflies in temporary pools. Royal Ontario Museum, Life Sciences Contributions 88.
Wissinger,SA; Sparks,GB; Rouse,GL; Brown,WS and Steltzer,HM 1996 Intraguild predation and cannibalism among larvae of detritivorus caddisflies in subalpine wetlands. Ecology 77 (8) 2421-2430.
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