The subfamily Aphaeninae is a group of hemipteran insects, especially abundant and diverse in the tropics. They belong to the Fulgoridae (fulgorids), though they are not among the better-known members of that family that are called "lantern bugs" or "lanternflies" (although as true bugs they are only distantly related to true flies). 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, 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.[1][2] The tribe Enchophorini, previously placed here, has been raised to a subfamily.
The following PNG/Australian genera were previously placed here, but are now in the Poiocerinae: tribe Poiocerini Haupt, 1929:
The spotted lantern fly is an invasive species in the United States and can devastate vineyards and ruin fruit crops.[7] It feeds on a variety of crops, and the waste it excretes encourages a fungal growth called sooty mold which can kill plants by blocking sunlight from reaching their leaves.[8] In September 2021 a boy included one of these rare and dangerous insects in his bug collection at the Kansas State Fair, triggering a federal investigation because the lanternfly had previously not been found farther west than southeastern Indiana.[8]