Changes To Eurymelinae Needed

https://bugguide.net/node/view/129475/bgimage

This single image has been languishing as "Eurymelinae" based on Andy Hamilton's ambiguous comment from years ago. The confusion stems from whether to lump or split this subfamily. In Dietrich's 2005 key to the subfamilies, these were split. This is where Macropsinae and Idiocerinae arise from (Megophthalminae is morphologiclly similar, though I don't think it was ever considered part of the Eurymelinae). In this sense, Eurymelinae is a strictly Australian group. In a more recent phylogenetic study, based on genomic data, Dietrich et al 2017 regard Macropsini+Idiocerini as belonging to Eurymelinae. I recommend this as the classification followed on bugguide... these are very similar groups that form a single monophyletic lineage.

As per this particular image, Andy Hamilton is pointing out that this specimen is teneral and has a short head, which would place it in either the eurymelinae (sensu Dietrich et al 2017) or in Megophthalminae. This is probably an image which deserves to be frassed, but at least it sparked an interesting discussion on the classification of these groups.


Dietrich, C.H., Allen, J.M., Lemmon, A.R., Lemmon, E.M., Takiya, D.M., Evangelista, O., Walden, K.K., Grady, P.G., Johnson, K.P. and Wiegmann, B., 2017. Anchored hybrid enrichment-based phylogenomics of leafhoppers and treehoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Membracoidea). Insect Systematics and Diversity, 1(1), pp.57-72.