Their rounded bodies are often covered with dense, short hairs.
Common species are between and inch long.
There are about 250 described species in the U.S. and 2500 for the whole world. The adults are fairly long-lived and can be seen for several months during the summer. Adult clerid beetles feed on the adult wood-borers, while the larvae prey on the immature stages, including the eggs. Other species feed on grasshopper egg pods, a few have been reported as predators of gall insects, and one genus, Necrobia , has departed from the typical food habit of the family and are primarily scavengers. The eggs are usually placed in the host entrance gallery or in cracks or crevices in the bark.