New Geographic and Host Records of Anisopteromalus quinarius (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in Belize, Central America

The genus Anisopteromalus Ruschka, 1912 (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae: Pteromalinae) is important for its role as a parasitoid on coleopteran larvae that are pests of stored food products. To survey the stored product pests in rural and urban retail stores of northern Belize, beans, dog food, flour, pasta, and rice were collected from five stores each in the rural and urban areas of Corozal District, Belize in October, November, and December 2022. Anisopteromalus quinarius was recorded for the first time from pasta samples in the presence of Sitophilus oryzae from urban stores in Corozal Town. Here, we expand the known geographic region, natural hosts, and stored products on which A. quinarius may occur. The natural association of the parasitoid A. quinarius with S. oryzae merits its evaluation as a biological control agent in Belize.