mˈɛmbɚz ʌv ðɪs bˈiːɾəl fˈæmɪli hæv bˌaɪoʊlˌuːmɪnˈɛsənt ˈɔːɹɡənz ɔnðə lˈɑːɹviː, ænd sˈʌmtaɪmz ɐdˈʌlts, ænd ɑːɹ klˈoʊsli ɹᵻlˈeɪɾᵻd tə ðə fˈɛŋɡədˌɪdiː ɡlˈoʊwɜːm bˈiːɾəlz, ðˌoʊ hɪstˈɔːɹɪkli ðeɪ hɐvbɪn ˈɔfən tɹˈiːɾᵻd æz ɐ sˈʌbfɐmˌɪli ʌv lˈæmpɪɹˌɪdiː, ɔːɹ æz ɹᵻlˈeɪɾᵻd tə ðæt fˈæmɪli.
Members of this beetle family have bioluminescent organs on the larvae, and sometimes adults, and are closely related to the Phengodidae (glowworm beetles), though historically they have been often treated as a subfamily of Lampyridae, or as related to that family.