The higher classification of the Clusiidae is reviewed, and the family is divided into the subfamilies Clusiodinae, Clusiinae and the new subfamily Sobarocephalinae, all of which are (re)defined. The newly defined Clusiinae includes the genera Phylloclusia Hendel, 1917, Tetrameringia McAlpine, 1960, Amuroclusia Mamaev, 1987, Clusia Haliday, 1838, Paraclusia Czerny, 1903, Alloclusia Hendel, 1917 and Apiochaeta Czerny, 1903. The Sobarocephalinae includes the genera Sobarocephala Czerny, 1903, Procerosoma gen. n., and Chaetoclusia Coquillett, 1904. The new genus Procerosoma is described for two species, Procerosoma alini (Shatalkin) comb. n. from Brazil and P. prominens sp. n. from Mexico. Sobarocephaloides Soós, 1962 is treated as a junior synonym of Sobarocephala, and Chaetoclusia is redefined to include the monotypic genera Chaetoclusiella Soós, 1962, syn. n. and Trichoclusia Soós, 1962, syn. n. Six new species of Chaetoclusia are described (C. centrofasciata sp. n., C. amplipenis sp. n., C. transversa sp. n., C. inbionella sp. n., C. flava sp. n., and C. furva sp. n.). Chaetoclusia bakeri peruana Hennig, 1938 is included as a junior synonym of C. bakeri Coquillett, 1904. The phylogeny of Chaetoclusia is discussed and a key is provided for its 13 species.