Bug FAQDolophilodes distinctus
Dolophilodes distinctus · Order: Trichoptera · Family: Philopotamidae
Dolophilodes distinctus is a small caddisfly with brown wings that have darker markings and it lives in clear mountain streams across eastern North America. The larvae build net-like retreats in the water and feed on fine organic matter and diatoms caught in the mesh, while adults emerge mainly from late June to late August, with some winter emergence.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults have brown wings with darker brown markings. Females that emerge in summer are fully winged, but those that emerge in March often have very short, vestigial wings.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adult caddisflies are small, moth-like insects.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Larvae are found in clear, montane streams in eastern North America where they construct net-like retreats.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on fine organic particles and diatoms that become trapped in their nets.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae are present year-round, with the highest numbers in August. Adult emergence mainly occurs from late June through late August, with occasional winter emergence.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Winged females appear in summer, while March emergents are often brachypterous.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range extends from Minnesota and Newfoundland south to Georgia.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 24 of 51 states and DC. Most records: North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, South Carolina, West Virginia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
When do adult Dolophilodes distinctus emerge?
Adults mainly emerge from late June to late August, though some may appear in mid-winter.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Philopotamidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolophilodes_distinctus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.