These beetles are cosmopolitan, being found in Nearctic, Palearctic, Neotropical, Afrotropical, Oriental, and Australian ecoregions.

[1] Beetles of this family are elongated and usually found on flowers or stems.

Adult males are about 10–15 mm in length, while females are a bit larger.

Although older literature reports the larvae to be predatory, the most common mode of feeding is probably microphagy on myxomycetes or metabolic products of fungi.

[3] These following genera belong to the family Lycidae: Data sources: i=ITIS,[5] c=Catalogue of Life,[6] g=GBIF,[7] b=Bugguide.net[2] †Burmolycus Bocak et al. 2019 Burmese amber, Cenomanian †Cretolycus Tihelka et al. 2019 Burmese amber, Cenomanian †Electropteron Kazantsev 2012 Dominican amber, Miocene †Miocaenia Wickham 1914 Florissant Formation, Eocene