Their brood parasitic lifestyle has led to the evolution of fascinating adaptations, including chemical mimicry of host odors by some species.

French guêpe de feu, "fire-wasp", and German / Dutch Goldwespe / goudwesp, "gold-wasp").

Chrysidines are distinguished from the members of other subfamilies in that most have flattened or concave lower abdomens and can curl into a defensive ball ("volvation") when attacked by a potential host, in the manner of a pill bug.

They favor dry areas and sandy soils; many species are confined to a narrow type of microhabitat where adults may rest or find hosts to parasitize, for example on bare soil or on dead wood where other solitary wasps have their nest holes.

[6] Other Cretaceous specimens are known from the Albian-Cenomanian amber of France,[7] a Cenomanian limestone in Morocco.