Distribution: The species is mainly distributed in the northern half of Europe, from the British Isles to European Russia.

Habitat: The aquatic stages of Holocentropus dubius occur in the stagnant water of lakes and ponds among submerged vegetation; they can also be found in brackish water (Botosaneanu & Malicky 1978, Edington & Hildrew 1995). The species tolerates moderate organic pollution.

Nutrition: The larvae are carnivorous, feeding on small invertebrates that are caught in their silky webs (Waringer & Graf 1997, Graf et al. 2002).

Adults: Adults are on the wing from June to August (Waringer & Graf 1997).