The oldest described species are from the early Toarcian Posidonia Shale in Germany,[4] with the next youngest being from the Callovian Haifanggou and Daohugou Formations in China.

[3][5] Cretaceous species are less common, but still found across Eurasia, the youngest being from China and Britain and the family lasting until the Aptian in Brazil (Crato Formation).

[2] In 2018, it was recognised that the subfamily Cretanallachiinae from the Burmese amber, formerly assigned to Dilaridae, belonged to Kalligrammatidae, extending the range of the family into the early Late Cretaceous.

There is variation in the mouthparts, which commonly are 11–25 mm (0.43–0.98 in) long[3][7] siphon shaped proboscis, but some basal species have more distinct mandibles.

The prevalence of eye spots in many species, the presence of light striping along the wing margins of Sophogramma[1] were evolved to act as anti-predator adaptations against predation from pterosaurs and early birds.

Given the structuring of the mouthparts, they are thought to have most likely been pollinators, feeding on pollen and plant juices,[1][2][7] possibly produced by Bennettitales and Cheirolepidiaceae.

A placement of Palparites was not made due to the incomplete nature of the only fossil known, and Makarkninia was not included in the paper, as the second more complete species was not described until 2016.

[1] Sophogramma Protokalligramma Meioneurites Abrigramma Oregramma Ithigramma Kalligramma Limnogramma Sinokalligramma Kalligrammina Angarogramma Stelligramma Kalligrammula Huiyingogramma Lithogramma Affinigramma Apochrysogramma Kallihemerobius