FIRST RECORD OF LIMNEPHILUS CENTRALIS CURTIS, 1834 
(INSECTA: TRICHOPTERA) FROM THE REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO
Halil IBRAHIMI* and Arben THAQI
Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, 
University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, 
“Mother Theresa” p.n., 10 000 Prishtina, Republic of Kosovo
* Corresponding author halil.ibrahimi@uni-pr.edu
Abstract - The Limnephilid species Limnephilus centralis is present mostly in Western
and Central Europe and has been rarely sampled in Southeastern Europe. In this
paper we present first record of this species from the Republic of Kosovo, more pre-
cisely from Mokna Mountain. In some European countries or areas during the last
decades Limnephilus centralis has been assessed as extinct, vanished or rare. In
Kosovo it belongs to the group of rare species. Limnephilus centralis is the ninth
species of the genus Limnephilus reported from Kosovo. 
Other species associated with Limnephilus centralis in investigated locality are: Rhy-
acophila laevis, Philopotamus montanus, Potamophylax luctuosus, Limnephilus
bipunctatus and Beraea pullata. 
KEY WORDS: Limnephilus centralis, Kosovo, Trichoptera, Balkan Peninsula.
Izvleček – PRVI PODATKI O VRSTI LIMNEPHILUS CENTRALIS CURTIS, 1834
(INSECTA: TRICHOPTERA) V REPUBLIKI KOSOVO
Limnephilus centralis, vrsta družine Limnephilidae, je razširjena predvsem v za-
hodni in srednji Evropi, v jugovzhodni Evropi je bila redko najdena. V prispevku
predstavljava prvo najdbo te vrste v Republiki Kosovo, natančneje na gori Mokna. V
nekaterih evropskih državah ali območjih je bila v zadnjih desetletjih vrsta Limnephilus
centralis opredeljena za izumrlo, izginulo ali redko. Na Kosovu pripada skupini
redkih vrst. Je deveta vrsta rodu Limnephilus, zabeležena na Kosovu. Druge vrste,
pridružene vrsti Limnephilus centralis na preiskanem najdišču, so Rhyacophila laevis,
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ACTA ENTOMOLOGICA SLOVENICA
LJUBLJANA, DECEMBER 2016     Vol. 24, øt. 2: 209–214
Philopotamus montanus, Potamophylax luctuosus, Limnephilus bipunctatus in Beraea
pullata. 
KLJUČNE BESEDE: Limnephilus centralis, Kosovo, Trichoptera, Balkanski polotok.
Introduction
The Integripalpian family Limnephilidae is one of the most species rich families
of caddisflies, distributed mostly in northern temperate regions. All species have
aquatic larvae with the exception of the genus Enoicyla Rambur, 1842, whose larvae
are terrestrial. Their aquatic larvae are notable for constructing portable cases from
different material of plant, mineral and even animal origin.
The genus Limnephilus Leach, 1815 has more than 200 known extant species
worldwide (Morse 2016) distributed mostly across Holarctic region. Adults usually
fly from May to October. Larvae of Limnephilus centralis Curtis, 1834 are found
mostly in eucrenal and hypocrenal zone but sometimes in epirhithral zone as well
(Graf et al. 2008). This species is found in a wide variety of altitudes with adults
emerging mostly in spring and autumn, but in lesser number in summer as well.
While widespread in some countries of Western and Central Europe, it is rarely sam-
pled in most part of the Southeastern Europe. The goal of this paper is to contribute
to the knowledge of the distribution of Limnephilus centralis in this part of the Euro-
pean continent where large and systematic inventories of caddisflies are still missing. 
Material and methods
Data sampling and processing
Adult caddisfly specimens were collected with entomological net and ultraviolet
light trap three times during 2015. Ultraviolet light was placed above the white pan
of 60 cm in diameter filled 10 cm with water with a few drops of detergent. The light
trap was placed on stream bank and operated from dusk until next morning. Collected
samples were preserved in 80 % ethanol. The specimens were identified under a
stereomicroscope with determination keys from Malicky (2004) and Kumanski (1985,
1988). The collection is deposited at the Laboratory of Zoology of the Faculty of
Natural and Mathematical Sciences, University of Prishtina, Kosovo.
Study area
The sampling site is located at Mokna Mountains in northwestern part of Kosovo.
This mountain area is part of Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains and is shared by Kosovo,
Serbia and Montenegro.
The sampling site (Figure 1) is located in a stream originating from this range of
mountains above the Istog town (42.88737˚N, 20.56192˚E, and 1669 m above sea
level). The streambed is moderately shaded by nearby vegetation and consists of
gravel, sand and stones of different sizes. 
Acta entomologica slovenica, 24 (2), 2016
210
Results 
Material examined:
Family Limnephilidae
Limnephilus Leach, 1815 
Limnephilus centralis Curtis, 1834
One adult male specimen was caught with UV light trap on 21st of July 2015. 
Other species associated with Limnephilus centralis in this sample are: Rhyacophila
laevis Pictet, 1834 (1♂), Philopotamus montanus (Donovan, 1813) (2♂♂, 2♀♀),
Potamophylax luctuosus (Piller & Mitterpacher, 1783) (1♂), Limnephilus bipunctatus
Curtis, 1834 (2♀♀) and Beraea pullata (Curtis, 1834) (7♂♂, 2♀♀). 
One adult female specimen was caught with entomological net on 23rd of July
2015. 
Other species associated with Limnephilus centralis in this sample are: Rhyacophila
laevis (1♂), Philopotamus montanus (9♂♂, 2♀♀), and Beraea pullata (12♂♂, 3♀♀). 
Halil Ibrahimi, Arben Thaqi: First record of Limnephilus centralis Curtis, 1834 from the Republic of Kosovo
211
Fig. 1: Sampling site in Mokna Moun-
tain with indicated watersheds in the Re-
public of Kosovo: A – Adriatic Sea water-
shed, B – Black Sea watershed, C – Aegean
Sea watershed.
One adult male specimen was caught with UV light trap on 26th of August 2015. 
Other species associated with Limnephilus centralis in this sample are: Philopota-
mus montanus (1♂♂), Potamophylax cingulatus/luctuosus (1♀), Potamophylax pal-
lidus (Klapalek, 1899) (1♀), Beraea pullata (2♂♂) and Hydropsyche spp. (2♀♀). 
Discussion
During this investigation we found Limnephilus centralis for the first time in the
Republic of Kosovo. The species belongs to the group of rare species in Kosovo.
From more than 150 localities all over Kosovo sampled during the last years (e.g.
Gashi et al. 2015, Gashi and Ibrahimi 2008, Ibrahimi et al. 2013, 2014, 2015a, 2015b,
2015c, 2015d, 2016, Ibrahimi and Gashi 2008, Olah et al. 2014, 2015) Limnephilus
centralis is found in one locality only. The species is sampled rarely elsewhere in
Southeastern Europe as well. Only in Bulgaria this species has been found in consid-
erably more localities (Figure 2, DAET 2016). In Figure 2 are summarized major
findings of L. centralis in Europe according to DAET (2016). In addition, this species
is also present in Slovenia and Serbia (Krušnik and Urbanič 2002, Živić et al. 2006).
In several European countries during the last decades L. centralis has been assessed
as extinct, vanished or rare. In Hungary and some parts of Germany it hasn’t been
Acta entomologica slovenica, 24 (2), 2016
212
Fig. 2: Distribution of Limnephilus centralis in Europe prior to the current inves-
tigation, according to the Distribution Atlas of European Trichoptera (DAET 2016).
recorded during the past several decades and is thus categorized as extinct/vanished
species (Nogradi and Uherkovich 1999, Klima 1991). L. centralis has been rarely
sampled in Czech Republic, some parts of Germany, France, Luxemburg and some
Balkan countries (Maradova and Soldan 2012, Neu 2005, DAET 2016). L. centralis
is the ninth species of the genus Limnephilus registered in the Republic of Kosovo. 
Three other species collected during this investigation together with L. centralis
also belong to the group of rare species in Kosovo: Beraea pullata, Rhyacophila
laevis and Potamophylax luctuosus. Prior to this investigation B. pullata has only
been found in one locality, upper stream of Lloqan River in Bjeshkët e Nemuna
(Ibrahimi et al. 2015d). R. laevis and P. luctuosus previously have been found in less
than 5 localities in Kosovo (Ibrahimi et al. 2014). 
This investigation contributes to the inventory of the caddisfly fauna of the Republic
of Kosovo and especially emphasizes Mokna Mountain as area rich with rare species
of caddisflies.
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Received / Prejeto: 11. 8. 2016
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