Cynipoidea

The Cynipoidea are a moderate-sized hymenopteran superfamily that presently includes seven extant families and three extinct families, though others have been recognized in the past. The most familiar members of the group are phytophagous, especially as gall-formers, though the actual majority of included species are parasitoids or hyperparasitoids. They are typically glossy, dark, smooth wasps with somewhat compressed bodies and somewhat reduced wing venation. It is common for various metasomal segments to be fused in various ways (often diagnostic for families or subfamilies), and the petiole is very short, when present.

With the exception of the Cynipidae (the gall wasps), it is a poorly known group as a whole, though there are nearly 3000 known species in total, and a great many species are still undescribed, mostly in the Figitidae. Each of the constituent families differs in biology, though life histories of one of the families (Liopteridae) are still largely unknown. In July 2020, an identification key for the superfamily was published in the journal Insect Systematics and Diversity, enabling identification to the family level. Several groups formerly included in Cynipidae were elevated to family status in 2023.

Classification

 * Early-diverging Families


 * Family Austrocynipidae Riek, 1971
 * Family Ibaliidae Thomson, 1862
 * Subfamily Archaeibaliinae Liu & Engel, 2010
 * Subfamily Ibaliinae Thomson, 1862
 * Family Protimaspidae Liu & Engel, 2007
 * Family Stolamissidae Liu & Engel, 2007
 * Family Gerocynipidae Liu & Engel, 2007
 * Family Liopteridae Ashmead, 1895
 * Subfamily Proliopterinae Liu & Engel, 2007
 * Subfamily Goeraniinae Liu & Engel, 2007
 * Subfamily Mayrellinae Hedicke, 1922
 * Subfamily Dallatorrellinae Kieffer, 1911
 * Subfamily Oberthuerellinae Hedicke, 1903
 * Subfamily Liopterinae Ashmead, 1895


 * Eucynipoides


 * Family Figitidae Thomson, 1862
 * Subfamily Rasnicynipinae Kozlov, 1996
 * Subfamily Palaeocynipinae Kozlov, 1995


 * Core Figitidae
 * Subfamily Charipinae Dalla Torre & Kieffer, 1910
 * Subfamily Emargininae Kovalev, 1994
 * Subfamily Eucoilinae Thomson, 1862
 * Tribe Diglyphosematini Belizin, 1961
 * Tribe Eucoilini Thomson, 1862
 * Tribe Ganaspini Belizin, 1961
 * Tribe Kleidotomini Hellén, 1960
 * Tribe Trichoplastini Kovalev, 1989
 * Tribe Zaeucoilini Buffington, 2009
 * Subfamily Figitinae Thomson, 1862
 * Subfamily Mikeiinae Paretas-Martinez & Pujade-Villar, 2011
 * Subfamily Aspicerinae Dalla Torre & Kieffer, 1910
 * Subfamily Anacharitinae Thomson, 1862
 * Subfamily Pycnostigminae Cameron, 1905
 * Subfamily Thrasorinae Kovalev, 1994


 * Gall-associated Figitidae
 * Subfamily Plectocynipinae Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar, 2007
 * Subfamily Euceroptresinae Buffington & Liljeblad, 2008
 * Subfamily Parnipinae Ronquist & Nieves-Aldrey, 2001


 * Cynipiformes


 * Family Diplolepididae Latreille, 1802
 * Subfamily Diplolepidinae Latreille, 1802
 * Subfamily Pediaspinae Ashmead, 1903
 * Family Paraulacidae Nieves-Aldrey & Liljeblad, 2009
 * Family Cynipidae Latreille, 1802
 * Subfamily Hodiernocynipinae Kovalev, 1994
 * Subfamily Cynipinae Latreille, 1802
 * Tribe Aulacideini Nieves-Aldrey & Ronquist, 2015
 * Tribe Aylacini Ashmead, 1903
 * Tribe Ceroptresini Nieves-Aldrey, Nylander, & Ronquist, 2015
 * Tribe Cynipini Latreille, 1802
 * Tribe Diastrophini Nieves-Aldrey, Nylander, & Ronquist, 2015
 * Tribe Eschatocerini Ashmead, 1903
 * Tribe Phanacidini Nieves-Aldrey, Nylander, & Ronquist, 2015
 * Tribe Qwaqwaiini Liljeblad, Nieves-Aldrey, & Melika, 2011
 * Tribe Synergini Ashmead, 1896