The histerid subfamily Chlamydopsinae is a clade of obligate inquilines of social insects, mainly ants. They show a wide range of bizarre morphological characteristics, including highly varied trichomes, associated with this lifestyle. They occur throughout Australia and Indomalaysia, with a few species occurring as far from this centre of diversity as India and Japan. At present the subfamily contains 12 genera and 174 species, several of which are newly described herein (Teretriopsis theryi, gen. nov., sp. nov., Papuopsis andersoni, gen. nov., sp. nov. and Quasimodopsis riedeli, gen. nov. sp. nov.). This paper presents a phylogenetic analysis based on morphological characters of all of the main lineages of the family, provides a complete catalogue of the species, a key to all the genera, and proposes several new combinations. The phylogenetic analysis reveals two large clades, one (including the genera Chlamydopsis Westwood, Eucurtia Mjöberg, and Ectatommiphila Lea) is largely restricted to the Australian continent, whereas the other, containing all other genera, is much more widespread, including many Australian species, but extending also through Indomalaysia into south-east Asia. The beetles are known to utilise many hosts, including ants in four different subfamilies (Myrmicinae, Ponerinae, Dolichoderinae, and Formicinae), as well as termites in the genus Eutermes. However, host records are not yet sufficiently comprehensive to exhibit any clear phylogenetic signal.