The Microdontinae are myrmecophiles, meaning they live in the nests of ants.

Larval Microdontinae are scavengers or predators in ant nests,[1] and, in contrast to other syrphid larvae, have no readily apparent body segmentation.

Some species also do not exhibit the typical adult flower-visiting behaviour of other hoverflies, but instead remain near their larval host colonies (some of these species have no functional mouthparts and cannot feed as adults).

[2] A number of genera (e.g. Masarygus, Paragodon, Schizoceratomyia and Surimyia) lack the "spurious vein" which is characteristic of all other Syrphidae.

[4] A revised list of the genera in Microdontinae was carried out by Reemer & Ståhls (2013):[5]