The family has numerous unique physical traits including "wing venation with a single Rs1+2 vein; the lack of any positive wing-coupling mechanism; bilobed sternum A1 with external arms; male genitalia in which pseudoteguminal and valve plates are fused anteriorly to enclose a spacious subgenital crypt; female genitalia with unique elongate dorsal and subgenital plates, synscleritous anteriorly.

"[4] The members of this family share certain traits with other members of the Lepidoptera order such as "discrete mandibles that lack articulation or musculature; a short, coiled, functional proboscis with intrinsic muscle fibres; a primitively 3-segmented maxillary palp; functional salivary glands (as in Lophocoronidae).

They tend to be active from mid Spring to early Autumn in New Zealand (October to March).

Throughout the day, they are most active during daylight hours, minus times when the sun is most intense.

Larva of the family make silk-tunnels under foliage until they reach maturity, obtaining food from the tunnel.