Cynipini is a tribe of gall wasps. These insects induce galls in plants of the beech and oak family, Fagaceae.Nieves-Aldrey, J. L., et al. (2009). Revision and phylogenetics of the genus Paraulax Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae) with biological notes and description of a new tribe, a new genus, and five new species. Zootaxa 2200 1-40. They are known commonly as the oak gall wasps.Melika, G., et al. (2013). A new genus of oak gallwasp, Cyclocynips Melika, Tang & Sinclair (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini), with descriptions of two new species from Taiwan. Zootaxa 3630(3), 534-48. It is the largest cynipid tribe, with 62 genera and ~1000 recognized species, most of which are associated with oaks. The tribe is mainly native to the HolarcticMedianero, E. and J. L. Nieves-Aldrey. (2013). Barucynips panamensis, a new genus and species of oak gallwasps (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Cynipini) from Panama, and description of one new species of Coffeikokkos. ZooKeys (277), 25-46., with ~680 known species in the Nearctic region.
Cynipini wasps can act as ecosystem engineers. Their galls can become hosts of inquilines, and the wasps themselves are hosts to parasitoids.
Most of these wasps undergo cyclical parthenogenesis, sometimes reproducing sexually, and sometimes producing young without fertilization.
Genera
Acraspis Amphibolips Andricus Antron Aphelonyx Atrusca Barucynips Bassettia Belizinella Belonocnema Besbicus Biorhiza Burnettweldia Callirhytis Cerroneuroterus Chilaspis ChrysolepicynipsTang Chang-Ti; Nicholls, James; Melika, George; Buffington, Matthew L; Gates, Michael W; Lill, John T; Mapes, Carol C; Yang, Mian-Miao; Abe, Yoshihisa; Stone, Graham N. (2026). Confirmation, consequences and causes of extensive polyphyly in the oak gall wasp genus Dryocosmus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini). Insect Systematics & Diversity 10(2), ixag006. CoffeikokkosPujade-Villar, J., et al. (2012). A new genus of oak gallwasp, Coffeikokkos Pujade-Villar & Melika, gen. n., with a description of a new species from Costa Rica (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae). Zookeys (168), 19–29. Cyclocynips Cycloneuroterus Cynips Disholandricus Disholcaspis Dros Druon Dryocosmus Erythres Eumayria Eumayriella Femuros Feron Grahamstoneia Heteroecus Heocynips Holocynips Kinseyella Kokkocynips Latuspina Loxaulus Melikaiella Neuroterus Neuroandricus Nichollsiella Nubilantron Odontocynips Paracraspis Philonix Phylloteras Plagiotrochus Prokius Protobalandricus Pseudoneuroterus Reticulodermis Sphaeroteras Striatoandricus Trichagalma Trichoteras Trigonaspis Ussuraspis Xanthoteras Zapatella Zopheroteras
References