Scaphytopiini
Oman, 1943
Scaphytopiini is a tribe of within the Deltocephalinae, . The tribe was substantially revised by Zahniser & Dietrich (2013), who restricted its scope to include only three : Ascius, Scaphytopius, and Tenuarus. Multiple genera previously associated with Scaphytopiini were reassigned to other tribes within Deltocephalinae based on phylogenetic analysis. The tribe belongs to the , suborder .
Identification
Members of Scaphytopiini can be distinguished from other Deltocephalinae tribes by the combination of morphological characters that prompted the 2013 revision, though specific diagnostic features for field identification are not detailed in available sources. The tribe now contains only three (Ascius, Scaphytopius, Tenuarus), which helps separate it from the broader historical concept of Scaphytopiini that included many additional genera now placed in Athysanini, Cicadulini, Opsiini, Scaphoideini, and Vartini.
Distribution
Distribution records for the tribe as currently circumscribed are limited; the constituent Ascius, Scaphytopius, and Tenuarus have been documented from the Nearctic and Neotropical regions, though precise ranges for the restricted tribe are not established in available literature.
Similar Taxa
- AthysaniniContains formerly placed in Scaphytopiini (Nesothamnus, Scaphytoceps) that were transferred out by Zahniser & Dietrich (2013)
- CicaduliniContains Proceps, a formerly placed in Scaphytopiini before the 2013 revision
- OpsiiniContains Afrascius and Japananus, transferred out of Scaphytopiini in the 2013 revision
- ScaphoideiniContains Coroticus, Grammacephalus, Sikhamani, Sudhamruta, Thryaksha, and Univagris, all formerly in Scaphytopiini
- VartiniContains Curvimonus, Shivania, Stymphalus, Varta, Vartalapa, Vartatopa, and Xenovarta, reassigned from Scaphytopiini in 2013
Misconceptions
The tribe was historically much broader in scope, encompassing numerous now assigned to five other tribes. Literature or specimens predating 2013 may use Scaphytopiini in this broader sense, which is no longer taxonomically valid.
More Details
Taxonomic History
The tribe was originally described by Oman in 1943. A major revision by Zahniser & Dietrich (2013) in 'A review of the tribes of Deltocephalinae' (European Journal of 45) restricted Scaphytopiini to three and transferred 15 genera to other tribes: 2 to Athysanini, 1 to Cicadulini, 2 to Opsiini, 6 to Scaphoideini, and 5 to the newly recognized Vartini.
Constituent Genera
Current members: Ascius DeLong, 1943; Scaphytopius Ball, 1931; and Tenuarus DeLong, 1944. Scaphytopius is the of the tribe.