Diurnal mimics of Hymenoptera which are seldom seen as imagines. They are remarkable examples of mimicry, their resemblance in appearance to stinging wasps presumed to be a defence against avian predators.

Their larvae feed internally in the living wood or under the cambium of trees and shrubs and in the stems and roots of some herbaceous plants often giving little sign of their presence. They pupate within the larval tunnels often forming a thin cap of bark over the emergence hole.

Before the recent availability of pheromone lures to attract the males many species seemed very uncommon and most records required searching for larvae and rearing the imagines, which was both very time consuming and difficult. Since the use of pheromone lures some species have been discovered to be fairly common and widespread.