Its species have often been treated as members of genus Ergates.

Authors who separate the two genera differentiate Trichocnemis by a proportionally smaller head, the shape of the mandibles, the length of the antennae, and various other details in the morphology of the body and legs.

[1] Beetles in genus Trichocnemis have large, elongated bodies in shades of brown, usually with lighter elytra.

They have small heads with big eyes and relatively short antennae.

[1] Trichocnemis species are distributed in western North America from Southwestern Canada to Baja California.