 Some species of Cryptorhynchinae are considered agricultural pests, such as the mango seed weevil "Sternochetus mangiferae", but the great majority of species live in primary forests, often on deadwood and are threatened by habitat loss.In Europe, the flightless genus "Acalles" is most diverse, and restricted to woodlands of long-lasting habitat continuity

According to a biogeographical analysis Cryptorhynchinae s.s. originated in the Late Cretaceous in South America.Within the ‘Acalles group’ and the ‘Cryptorhynchus group’, several independent dispersal events to the Western Palaearctic via the Nearctic occurred in the Late Cretaceous and Early Paleogene.