[1] Dictyoolithidae was first described in 1994 by the Chinese paleontologist Zhao Zikui; he named only a single oogenus, Dictyoolithus, with two oospecies: D. neixiangensis and D. hongpoensis.

[2][1] Dictyoolithids are unique for having a reticulate-like organization of eggshell units,[2] which resembles the honeycomb-like structure of faveoloolithids.

[1][2] However, in 2010, Jin et al. argued that superimposed shell units were not universal to the oofamily because they had discovered three fossil egg clutches, referred to D. hongpoensis, in Lishui, Zhejiang which lacked this characteristic.

[4] However, the identification of these eggs as dictyoolithids is disputed; they may in fact represent Faveoloolithidae, an oofamily which is similar in microstructure to Dictyoolithidae.

[2][5] A phylogenetic analysis in 2010, based on the remains from Lishui that possibly[1] belong to Dictyoolithus hongpoensis, found it to be the eggs of theropods.