In addition, Glossosomatids tend to have short anal prolegs complete with accessory hooks.

Lastly, Glossosomatid adult have widely spaced mesal setose warts on their prothorax.

[citation needed] Glossosomatid larvae do not normally have gills, meaning that they respire through their cuticle.

[5] Within streams, Glossosomatid larvae can be found clinging to submerged logs and rocks with algae present.

A normal larva can live months to years within a single streams (because the cold conditions increase longevity) before pupating.

After mating, eggs are laid in a gelatinous mass under rocks, on the water surface, or on floating objects in a stream.

Current research into the phylogeny of Trichoptera suggest that Spicipalpia is weakly monophyletic when using certain genetic and morphological characters, and is possibly paraphyletic.

Water pollution includes streams with excess algae growth, high concentration of minerals, chemical runoff, etc.

Glossosomatids are excellent bioindicators of pollution because of their longevity (they experience water conditions for months to years), their susceptibility, and the ease of their identification.