''Philonix'' is a genus of oak gall wasps in the family Cynipidae.Poole, R.W. & P. Gentili, 1996. Hymenoptera, Mecoptera, Megaloptera, Neuroptera, Raphidioptera, Trichoptera. ''Nomina Insecta Nearctica: A Check List of the Insects of North America.'' Vol 2. Melika, G. & Abrahamson, W.G. (2002) Review of the World Genera of Oak Cynipid Wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini). ''In:'' Melika, G. & Thuróczy, C. (Eds.), ''Parasitic Wasps: Evolution, Systematics, Biodiversity and Biological Control''. ''International Symposium: “Parasitic Hymenoptera: Taxonomy and Biological Control” (14–17 May 2001, Kõszeg, Hungary).'' Agroinform, Budapest, pp. 150–190. Species in this genus are only known from Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The

larvae A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

of ''Philonix'' wasps induce

galls Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...

white oaks The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera '' ...

that are typically spherical, soft and fleshy. Galls are usually formed on the underside of leaves. Adult wasps are similar in appearance to species in the genus ''

Acraspis ''Acraspis'' is a genus of gall wasps in the family Cynipidae Gall wasps, also incorrectly called gallflies, are hymenopterans of the family Cynipidae in the wasp superfamily Cynipoidea. Their common name comes from the galls they induce on ...

''. Many gall wasps have alternate sexual and asexual generations, but this has not been documented in ''Philonix''. The genus was first named and described by Asa Fitch in 1859. The following species are recognised in the genus ''Philonix'': * '' P. fulvicollis'' Fitch, 1859 * '' P. gigas'' Weld, 1922 * '' P. insulensis'' ( Kinsey, 1936) * '' P. lanaeglobuli'' ( Ashmead, 1887) * '' P. latigenae'' (Kinsey, 1936)

References

Cynipidae Gall-inducing insects Oak galls Insects described in 1859 Insects of Canada Hymenoptera of North America Taxa named by Asa Fitch Hymenoptera genera {{apocrita-stub