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, enabling identification to the family/tribe level. Several groups formerly included in Cynipidae were elevated to family status in 2023.
Classification Family Protimaspidae Liu & Engel, 2007
Family Stolamissidae Liu & Engel, 2007
Family Gerocynipidae Liu & Engel, 2007
Family Austrocynipidae Riek, 1971
Family Paraulacidae Nieves-Aldrey & Liljeblad, 2009
Family Diplolepididae Latreille, 1802 Subfamily Diplolepidinae Latreille, 1802 Subfamily Pediaspinae Ashmead, 1903
Family Ibaliidae Thomson, 1862 Subfamily Archaeibaliinae Liu & Engel, 2010 Subfamily Ibaliinae Thomson, 1862
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
Family Figitidae Thomson, 1862 Subfamily Rasnicynipinae Kozlov, 1996 Subfamily Palaeocynipinae Kozlov, 1995 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 Subfamily Plectocynipinae Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar, 2007 Subfamily Euceroptresinae Buffington & Liljeblad, 2008 Subfamily Parnipinae Ronquist & Nieves-Aldrey, 2001
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
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