Xylophagidae consist of slender, rhagionid-like flies with a body length that can vary from 2­25 mm in length. Adults of extant forms are sylvan in habit, usually occurring near water sources. Known larval forms live in rotting wood and under bark and are considered to be predaceous.
The fossil representation of the family consists of described taxa only from the Tertiary Baltic amber. However, in addition to the determined material listed below, undetermined material of this family has been recorded from the Cretaceous amber of Siberia (Zherichin & Sukacheva, 1973).

ARTHROPIELLA Meunier, 1908h: 262. Type species: Arthropiella eocenica Meunier, 1908, by monotypy.

eocenica Meunier, 1908h: 262. PA: Baltic Region (Eocene/Oligocene) [A].

HABROSOMA Loew, 1850b: 39. Type species: Habrosoma antiqua Loew, 1850, by monotypy.

antiquum Loew, 1850b: 39. PA: Baltic Region (Eocene/Oligocene) [A].

*XYLOPHAGUS Meigen, 1803: 266. Type species: Nemotelus cinctus De Geer, 1776, by monotypy.

eridanus Meunier, 1908h: 262. PA: Baltic Region (Eocene/Oligocene) [A].
mengeanus Giebel, 1856: 204. PA: Baltic Region (Eocene/Oligocene) [A].
mengeanus Loew, 1850b: 39. Nomen nudum.