The >600 species in 78 extant genera occur widely in the tropics, but little is known of their biology.

The larvae have the C-shape and creamy white appearance typical of the scarabaeiforms.

Adults are known to feed on invertebrate and vertebrate carrion, with some found in dung.

The group has been long recognized as distinct, primarily because of the larval characteristics, either as a distinct family or as a subfamily of Scarabaeidae, though its constituency was greatly expanded with the inclusion within it of the former family Ceratocanthidae.

Data sources: i = ITIS,[2] c = Catalogue of Life,[3] g = GBIF,[4] b = Bugguide.net[5]