Charipinae Dalla Torre and Kieffer, 1910 Alloxysta Förster Dilyta Förster, 1869 Lobopterocharips Paretas-Martinez and Pujade-Villar, 2008 Lytoxysta Kieffer, 1909 World Cynipoidea (Hymenoptera): A Key to Higher- Level Groups Buffington, Matthew L. Forshage, Mattias Liljeblad, Johan Tang, Chang-Ti Noort, Simon van Insect Systematics and Diversity 2020 2020-07-01 4 4 1 1 69 Dalla Torre and Kieffer 1910 [146,269,1313,1336] Insecta Figitidae Animalia Hymenoptera 52 53 Arthropoda subFamily Charipinae   Figs. 243–248 This is an extremely diverse group known exclusively as hyperparasitoids in aphid and psyllid systems. While not particularly diverse at the genus level, the species diversity in  Alloxystais remarkable, and it is possible numerous cryptic species complexes are present in the genus. The small size and smooth cuticle of charipines make them easily recognized at the subfamily level. While genera are relatively approachable with respect to identification, species limits are still being addressed, and in some cases, species-level identification is difficult if not impossible. The research group at the University of Barcelona (Pujade-Villar Lab) is the most active in the world and has produced the most recent research on the group, spearheaded by Mar Ferrer-Suay. The volume of papers and new taxa in recent years is remarkable, and has been particularly valuable in making the typesaccessible. Up to a point, nomenclatural issues, as well as distribution knowledge and practical identification have benefitted significantly from this. But this is not definitive since species circumscriptions are still often uncertain, as revisions have usually been made on the basis of rather small numbers of specimens and a set of preferred morphological characters, not considering biological or molecular evidence nor phylogenetic considerations. Particularly troublesome was the erection of all wingless forms into separate species. Biology. Hyperparasitoids of aphidiine braconids and aphelinid chalcidoids through aphids and psyllids. Data summarized online at http://www.charipinaedatabase.com. Distribution. Worldwide, but with the largest number of species in the Holarctic, while two unusual groups (  Dilapothorand  Thoreauana) are from Australia. Relevant literature. Menke and Evenhuis (1991)provided the first modern update of the group. Ferrer-Suay et al. (2012)provided a world catalog, which has also been merged into an online database (Ferrer-Suay et al. 2014); Ferrer-Suay et al. (2013a)review Neotropical species, Oriental species ( Ferrer-Suay et al. 2013b) and Palearctic species ( Ferrer-Suay et al. 2018); van Noort et al. (2015)reviewed the Afrotropical species. Classification.   Charipinae Dalla Torre and Kieffer, 1910   AlloxystaFörster; 137 species worldwide but mainly Holarctic, despite recent revisions many problems remain    ApocharipsFergusson, 1986; 6 species NT, PA, AT   DilapothorParetas-Martinez and Pujade-Villar, 2006; 1 species AU    DilytaFörster, 1869; 14 species AT, PA, NA, OR  LobopterocharipsParetas-Martinez and Pujade-Villar, 2008; 1 species OR   LytoxystaKieffer, 1909; 1 species NA    PhaenoglyphisFörster, 1869; 44 species, worldwide but mainly Holarctic, despite recent revisions many problems remain  ThoreauanaGirault, 1930; 4 species AU