[2] Pauropods in this family are found on all continents except South America and Antarctica.

[1][3] Pauropods in this family feature an entire first tergite, but at least the next two tergites are each divided into four to six sclerites.

The pygidial sternum has two or three pairs of setae.

[1][3] Like most adult pauropods in the order Tetramerocerata,[4] most adults in this family have nine pairs of legs, but adults in two genera, Aletopauropus and Zygopauropus, have only eight pairs of legs.

[1][3] This family includes 33 species distributed among the following seven genera:[5]