[2]: Backcover, 6 Sesiidae are characterized by their hymenopteriform[a] Batesian mimicry, frequently of identifiable species.

[2]: 11, 16  Most species of Sesiidae have wings with areas where scales are nearly completely absent, resulting in partial, marked transparency.

[2]: 11  In many species, the abdomen is elongated, with an anal tuft, and striped or ringed yellow, red or white,[2]: 11  sometimes very brightly so.

[2]: 11 The larvae of the Sesiidae typically bore in wood or burrow in plant roots.

Many species are serious pests of fruit-tree or timber cultivation, or crop plants (e.g. Melittia spp.