It is the only genus in the subfamily Stylogastrinae, which some authorities have historically treated as a separate family Stylogastridae (or Stylogasteridae).

[1][2] These flies typically use army ants' raiding columns to flush out their prey, ground-dwelling Orthoptera and/or roaches.

The female of some species waits for army ants to flush out a target, then she dives in and jabs an egg into the host.

Adults can occasionally be found at flowers, feeding on nectar with their proboscis, which is longer than the body when unfolded.

The female's abdomen is also folded under the body, and is the derivation of the generic name (Stylogaster = "needle-tail").