# 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

          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