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Length 10-17 mm (Hopping 1937). There is considerable color variation within the species (Hopping 1937). Most are rufo-testaceous in color but can range from red to brown to black and may be bivittate (Doane 1936). The head and thorax are lanate or covered with woolly hairs (Haldeman 1847). The elytra are testaceous in color (Haldeman 1847) and costate or ribbed (Leng 1890). The body is ventrally testaceous in color (Haldeman 1847). The legs are darker than the body to entirely black (Leng 1890) but may also be red (Hardy 1942). The pubescence is arranged transversely, especially between the costa (Leng 1890). In the Sierra-Nevada Mountains most individuals are small, pale, and covered with a dense yellow pubescence. Northwestern Californian specimens tend to be entirely black with a white pubescence. Specimens from the coast and southern California have reduced pubescence with reddish brown elytra. Northern specimens from the Pacific Northwest to Alberta are uniform in color with brownish elytra and black appendages (Linsley and Chemsak 1972).

Most Cerambycid larvae are wood boring and may be very destructive to trees impacting forestry and agriculture (Triplehorn and Johnson 2005). Stenocorus vestitus larvae can be found in the roots of host trees in January (Hardy and Preece 1927). Adults emerge in April, May or June (Hardy and Preece 1927).

Adults are found on the flowers of various angiosperms. Larvae are wood borers and are reared on the roots of Pinus ponderosa, Pseudotsuga taxifolia, or Pseudotsuga mucronta (Hardy and Preece 1927, Hopping 1937, Hardy 1942, Linsley and Chemsak 1972).

Specimens have been recorded as being found on Azaka, Lupine, Rosa nutkana, Calochortus, Ceanothus, Convolvulus, Eriogonum, Ranunculus, Wyethia, Eriodictyon, Salvia, Rhamnus, Heracleum, Balsamorhiza, Sonchus, Lupinus, Althaea, Azalea, and on the trunks of Abies grandis (Garnett 1918, Hopping 1937, Hardy 1942, Linsley and Chemsak 1972).