To explore the origins of coastal colonization within the tribe Athetini Casey, we present a revised molecular phylogeny. The dataset comprised partial mitochondrial COI, COII, 16S rDNA, NADH1, partial nuclear 18S rDNA and 28S rDNA. We chose a total of 95 species in 51 genera, including 14 coastal species in eight genera and 21 outgroup species. The ecological association of species with a coastal habitat was mapped onto a phylogeny to assess the evolution of habitat specialization in the Athetini lineage. The results reveal that five independent origins (clades A–E) of coastal colonization have occurred throughout the tribe Athetini. The following changes in classification are proposed: (i) Adota minuta Lee and Ahn is removed from the genus Adota and tentatively included in Atheta (Badura); (ii) The genus Saphocallus Sharp is transferred from Athetini to Geostibini.