The morphology of Cucujoidea is varied and there are no features uniting all members of the superfamily.

In terms of general appearance, they tend to be small, drab in colour and with clubbed antennae.

[1] Larvae have frontal arms usually lyriform, the mandible mesal surface usually with well-developed mola, a maxillary articulating area usually present, a hypopharyngeal sclerome usually present, and two pretarsal setae.

[1] Cucujoidea usually have cryptic habits, living in fungi, leaf litter or dead wood.

The Nitidulidae are quite varied: some are saprophagous and mycetophagous like typical cucujoids, but others are associated with carrion, flowers, insect nests or stored food products.