This family is known as the Longhorn or Longicorn Beetles. These beetles are easily recognised by their extremely long antennae, which are at least two-thirds the body length and often much longer - up to several body length in size. They also have large eyes, prominent mandibles, strong clawed legs and a long body shape. They come in a wide variety of colours and the bodies of some are lightly covered in short, fine hairs. Longhorn Beetles range in length from 3 mm to 80 mm. One species, Batocera boisduvali, is known as the largest Australian beetle.

For all their sometimes fierce appearance, these beetles are vegetarian. They use their large mandibles to chew bark, wood, or leaves. Some feed on pollen. Longhorn Beetles are important pollinators as their often hairy bodies carry pollen from flower to flower. The larvae of most Longhorn species are wood borers. Some larvae grow quite large and they are one of the insect species larvae that are known as witchetty grubs - a highly nutritious "bush tucker". Some Longhorn beetles are considered pests as they can ringbark tree branches, but they play a necessary role in helping to decompose dying and dead trees.

Cerambycidae is a very large and important family of beetles in Australia. So far, about 1,250 species have been described and named.