This particular caddisfly is found in and near streams of North America, from northern California and Colorado to British Columbia and as eastern to Nevada, Idaho, Montana and Alberta.

They typically eat Diatoms (Synedra ulna and Achnanthes lanceolate) and filamentous algal (Stigeoclonium tenueetae, Ulothrix spp., and Klebsormidium fluitans) with the occasion detritus.

[7] Every species of Dicosmoecus has five stages of larvae, labeled as instars I-V, within a single brood, which occurs only once per mating season.

[2] This final stage occurs around late summer, the larvae are active until water temperature drops to 0-2 C, during November or December.

[9][8] The biology of the limnephilid caddisfly Dicosmoecus gilvipes (Hagen) in Northern California and Oregon (USA) Streams