The Eurrhypini (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is a pantropical tribe defined by the presence of a male-genitalic stridulatory apparatus. The ~200 species in 45 genera are leaf- and seed-feeders with unusual hostplant associations, and a few are emerging pests on tropical crops (Deanolis Sn. on mangoes, Heortia Led. on agarwood). Aside from regional reviews and revisions of smaller genera, no hypotheses of relationships have been proposed. A first phylogenetic analysis of 52 taxa plus several outgroups from the sister-group Odontiini was performed on 72 adult external and genitalic characters, including the stridulatory apparatus and previously unexamined androconia. Problems with resolution were caused by homoplasy, missing data, and especially inapplicable characters, whereby the apparent secondary loss of the apparatus in certain genera resulted in ambiguous placement. Two clades are generally supported: feeders on Thymelaeaceae (centered on Heortia and Cliniodes Gn.), and several genera that share a unique modification of the lamelliform “scraper”; the paraphyly of other putative groups may be caused by rooting problems. The structural variation of the characters indicates active evolution of courtship behavior.