Members of this family can be distinguished from members of other families by the absence of claws on tarsi of leg I, tarsal segmentation 1-2-2-(2-4), pedipalps with pairs of lateroventral spines, and by males having an immovable flagellum on the mesal face of each chelicerum.

[4] Males and females dig shallow burrows for protection and nesting.

[5] The species in North America are found in the South to Southwest and are rarely longer than 2 inches.

[6] Though they can be pests, they are considered beneficial because they feed on scorpions, spiders, and termites.

[6] As of September 2022[update], the World Solifugae Catalog accepts the following twenty-six genera:[7]