金花虫是一群中、小型的甲虫，体长介于1.0mm ~ 16.0mm；主要分辨特征在于跗节节数，其跗节共有五节，但第四节通常退化而紧链接在第五节基部，因此可见跗节为四节；天牛也具有这个特征，而且有些金花虫外型与天牛非常相像，但天牛触角较长，且复眼内缘凹陷，可以作为辨别特征；此外有些瓢虫长的像金花虫，但其跗节只有三节，所以很容易辨别；还有一些拟步行虫也很像金花虫，但他们的跗节可以清楚看到五节，因此也是很容易判定。

金花虫是完全变态昆虫，生活史可分为卵、幼虫、蛹、成虫等四个阶段；**金花虫皆为食植性，大部份成虫均以特定植物为食，幼虫生活环境与食草多半与成虫相同。

The family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as leaf beetles, includes over 37,000 (and probably at least 50,000) species in more than 2,500 genera, making it one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle families. Numerous subfamilies are recognized, but only some of them are listed below and the precise taxonomy and systematics are likely to change with ongoing research.