The

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Aphaeninae is a group of

hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order (biology), order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, Reduviidae, assassin bugs, Cimex, bed bugs, and shield bugs. ...

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

s, especially abundant and diverse in the

tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

. They belong to the

Fulgoridae The family Fulgoridae is a large group of hemipteran insects, especially abundant and diverse in the tropics, containing over 125 genera worldwide. They are mostly of moderate to large size, many with a superficial resemblance to Lepidoptera due t ...

(fulgorids), though they are not among the better-known members of that

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

that are called "lantern bugs" or "lanternflies" (although as true bugs they are only distantly related to

true flies Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

). In 2009, the first molecular analysis of the Fulgoridae challenged the existing structure of eight currently recognized subfamilies and eleven tribes. Aphaeninae contain a number of well-sized fulgorids. If seen flying at a distance, they can be mistaken for

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

, as they are large winged and boldly patterned, although usually not as colorful as some other fulgorids. The future of the Aphaeninae as a subfamily is unclear since the species assigned to it are interlineated in the molecular analysis with species of other Fulgoridae subfamilies. The tribe Enchophorini, previously placed here, has been raised to a subfamily.

Tribes and genera

Tribe Aphaenini

Auth.: Blanchard, 1847 and Distant, 1906 (distribution: worldwide tropics) * '' Anecphora'' Karsch, 1890 (equatorial Africa) * '' Aphaena'' Guérin-Méneville, 1834 (type genus: Asia) * '' Calmar'' Kirkaldy, 1901 (Gambia) * '' Coelodictya'' Jacobi, 1910 (E. Africa) * '' Copidocephala'' Stål, 1869 (Central Americas) * '' Eddara'' Walker, 1858 (Sub-Saharan Africa) * ''

Egregia ''Egregia menziesii'' is a species of kelp known commonly as feather boa kelp. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Egregia''. It is native to the coastline of western North America from Alaska to Baja California, where it is a com ...

'' Chew Kea Foo, Porion & Audibert, 2010 (Malesia) * '' Holodictya'' Gerstaecker, 1895 (Equatorial Africa) * '' Hypselometopum'' Stål, 1853 (Sub-Saharan Africa) * '' Kalidasa'' Kirkaldy, 1900 (India, Indo-China) * '' Limois'' Stål, 1863 (Asia: esp. China) * ''

Lycorma ''Lycorma'' is a genus of planthoppers native to Asia. The first species within the genus was described by Frederick William Hope in 1843 and the genus was formally established by Carl Stål in 1863. ''L. delicatula'', known as the spotted lan ...

'' Stål, 1863 (Asia: incl. invasive sp.) * '' Malfeytia'' Schmidt, 1905 (Congo basin) * '' Metaphaena'' Schmidt, 1905 (Central Africa) * '' Novodictya'' Lallemand, 1928 (Congo basin) * ''

Omalocephala ''Omalocephala'' is a genus of planthoppers belonging to the family Fulgoridae The family Fulgoridae is a large group of hemipteran insects, especially abundant and diverse in the tropics, containing over 125 genera worldwide. They are mostly ...

'' Spinola, 1839 (Africa, S. India, Sri Lanka) * ''

Penthicodes ''Penthicodes'' is a genus of planthoppers belonging to the family Fulgoridae, subfamily Aphaeninae: found in South-East Asia. The genus name was formerly treated as feminine, but in 2022 it was revised to masculine in accordance with ICZN Th ...

'' Blanchard, 1845 (South-East Asia: esp. Indo-China & Malesia) ** Species in the "artificial, heterogenous genus" ''Aphaenina'' Metcalf, 1947 are now synonyms of ''Penthicodes'' spp. * '' Prolepta'' Walker, 1851 (Malesia) * '' Scamandra'' Stål, 1863 (Malesia) * '' Ulasia'' Stål, 1863 (PNG)

Tribe Benamatapini

Auth.: Lallemand, 1959 (central Africa) * '' Benamatapa'' Distant, 1899

''
Incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...
''

* '' Bhaskaraena'' Constant, 2016 (Malesia) * '' Bloeteanella'' Lallemand, 1959 (PNG) * '' Flatolystra'' Nast, 1950 (South America) * ''

Neoalcathous ''Neoalcathous'' is a genus of Hemiptera, bugs in the family Fulgoridae and subfamily Aphaeninae, erected by Wang and Huang in 1989.Wang Si-Zheng & Huang Ju (1989) Notes of new genus and species of Fulgoroidea from China (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea) ...

'' Wang & Huang, 1989 (China, Vietnam) * '' Neolieftinckana'' Lallemand, 1963 (PNG) * '' Saramel'' Fennah, 1977 (PNG)

Genera formerly placed here

* ''Hellerides'' Lallemand, 1963 is a junior synonym of '' Zophiuma'' Fennah, 1955 in the

Lophopidae Lophopidae is a family of fulgoroidea, fulgoroid plant-hoppers with most species found in tropical South America and Asia (two genera occur in Africa). Characteristics Most members of the family are characterized by the face being longer than wi ...

. The following PNG/Australian genera were previously placed here, but are now in the Poiocerinae: tribe Poiocerini Haupt, 1929: * '' Desudaba'' Walker, 1858 (formerly in the tribe Aphaenini Schmidt, 1912) * '' Erilla'' Distant, 1906 (formerly in the tribe Limoisini Lallemand, 1963) * '' Galela'' Distant, 1906 (formerly in the tribe Aphaenini Schmidt, 1912) * The type species of genus ''Apossoda'', ''A. togoensis'' Schmidt, 1911, is now placed in ''

Pyrgoteles Pyrgoteles ( grc, Πυργοτέλης) was one of the most celebrated gem-engravers of ancient Greece, living in the latter half of the 4th century BC. The esteem in which he was held may be inferred from an edict of Alexander the Great, which ...

: P. togoensis'' (Schmidt, 1911)

Adverse effects

The spotted lantern fly is an

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and can devastate

vineyards A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...

and ruin

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

crops. It feeds on a variety of crops, and the waste it excretes encourages a

fungal A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from th ...

growth called

sooty mold Sooty mold (also spelled sooty mould) is a collective term for different Ascomycete fungi, which includes many genera, commonly ''Cladosporium'' and ''Alternaria''. It grows on plants and their fruit, but also environmental objects, like fences, ...

which can kill plants by blocking sunlight from reaching their leaves. In September 2021 a boy included one of these rare and dangerous insects in his bug collection at the

Kansas State Fair Kansas State Fair is a state fair held annually in Hutchinson, Kansas, United States. It starts the Friday following Labor Day in September, and lasts for 10 days. This fair is the largest single event in the state and attracts approximately 350 ...

, triggering a federal investigation because the lanternfly had previously not been found farther west than southeastern

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

References

External links

* *
FLOW: Aphaeninae
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2858193 Hemiptera subfamilies