金龟子是金龟子科昆虫的总称，全世界有超过26,000种。可以在除了南极洲以外的大陆发现。不同的种类生活于不同的环境，如沙漠、农地、森林和草地等。

独角仙亦属金龟子科的家族成员。

非洲产的大角金龟属（Goliathus，共11种），如大角金龟（Goliathus goliatus）、帝王大角金龟（Goliothus regius）、白纹大角金龟（Goliathus orientalis）等，是世界上最大和最重的金龟子种类。

金龟子的触角呈鳃叶状，锤节的部份常呈多分叉状。

成虫食性各异，有的以植物各部分（根茎叶花果实种子）为食，有的以腐败有机物为食，也有以粪便为食者。幼虫多生活于土中，以土中有机物为食。

The family Scarabaeidae as currently defined consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide, often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family is fairly unstable, with numerous competing theories, and new proposals appearing quite often. Many of the subfamilies listed here probably will not be recognized very much longer, as they will likely be reduced in status below subfamily rank, or elevated to family status (the latter is most likely, e.g., with the family "Melolonthidae" already appearing in some recent classifications). Other families have been removed recently, and are nearly universally accepted (e.g., Pleocomidae, Glaresidae, Glaphyridae, Ochodaeidae, Geotrupidae, and Bolboceratidae).