The net-winged beetles (Lycidae) are a speciose family of small (3 mm) to large (80 mm) species with more than 3500 representatives worldwide. The center of gravity of the distribution is located in the tropics and subtropics. In Germany only seven species are known to occur. In many species both pronotum and elytra are sculptured, a characteristic highly relevant for determination. The species exhibit a flattened body shape and are weakly chitinized. The adults are found on flowers, on foliage or on decaying stems. Little is known about the larval development. Most probably, the predacious larvae develop in decaying wood or in leaf litter.