大多數物種為中小型甲蟲,有一對縮短的鞘翅(elytra)。The hind wings have no accessory posterior ridge (locking device), no wedge cell and apical cell. Abdominal 8th segment not entirely invaginated in the 7th. Head mostly without coronal suture.[2]
^Lawrence, J. F.; Newton, A. F., Jr. Families and subfamilies of Coleoptera (with selected genera, notes, references and data on family-group names). J. Pakaluk & S. A. Slipinski (编). Biology, Phylogeny, and Classification of Coleoptera: Papers Celebrating the 80th Birthday of Roy A. Crowson. 波蘭華沙: Museum i Instytut Zoologii PAN, Warszawa. 1995: 779–1006 (英语).