The larvae of Pipunculidae develop as parasitoids almost exclusively in Auchenorrhyncha, the exception being the genus Nephrocerus, whose hosts are adult Tipulidae (crane flies).

The larvae develop rapidly within the crane flies before pupating in the soil.

Molecular analysis show that Pipunculidae appeared in the Maastrichtian age of the Cretaceous.

North American Metanephrocerus belgardeae and Priabona florissantius were collected from the Ypresian and Priabonian deposits, respectively.

[3] Taxonomy as shown at the Tree of life,[4] with modification based on Kehlmaier, Dierick and Skevington (2014).