As the common name suggests, this family are similar in appearance (and closely related) to the Elateridae: elongate parallel-sided beetles with pointed pronotal hind angles and unclubbed antennae, though Eucnemids have a noticeably weaker clicking mechanism.  Like the Elateridae, larvae of the Eucnemidae feed in dead wood.

There are seven species in Britain, but as small, secretive woodland beetles it is entirely possible that more remain to be discovered (three of the seven current British species were only discovered post-1950).