This distinctive little snail is widespread in Canada, known from every province and territory except for Nunavut. Its wordwide distribution includes northern Europe and northern Asia, and in the USA, it occurs in the northern states and south along the Rockies to Colorado.

In British Columbia, absent along the coast, this species is seemingly rare in south-eastern BC, and quite common in the north-central interior. In Ontario, it is almost entirely absent from areas along the Great Lakes, known south as far as the Bruce Peninsula, where it may be rare (known from just a couple of records).

Zoogenetes harpa is ovoviviparous; that is, the young hatch from their egg within the parent and emerge as fully developed snails. At birth, the young are as large as the aperture of the adult shell.

Look for this snail under logs, in leaf litter, and during wet weather, climbing vegetation.