LETTER TO THE EDITOR

 

New REPORTS OF PARASITOIDS OF coleopterans IN food WAREHOUSES OF MATANZAS CITY

 

Biological control by using beneficial arthropods is a vital alternative for the Integrated Pest Management in food warehouses. Pteromalidae and Bethylidae families included several parasitoid species showing a high capacity of host foraging and parasitism rate against grain pest coleopterans. In Cuba, Anisopteromalus calandrae Howard (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and the genus Cephalonomia West. (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) have been reported as parasites of small coleopterans. Recently, the parasitoids A. calandrae, Cephalonomia West and Pseudomicromelus Gahan and Fagam genera were detected in the warehouse 302, belonging to the Ministry of Domestic Trade (MINCIN) of Matanzas city, and in the food storehouse of Matanzas University. Those species were found associated with Lasioderma serricorne (Fab.), Sitophilus oryzae (L.) and Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boh.), pest insects which caused damages on stored grains such as bean, soybean protein, rice, corn, lentil and pea stored, respectively. Pseudomicromelus is considered a new genus recorded for Cuba according to the taxonomic criteria offered by Grillo (2008). The specimens are available at the Entomology Department of Matanzas Plant Protection Laboratory.

 

 

L. Marrero y J.E. Domínguez

Laboratorio de Entomología. Facultad de Agronomía. Universidad de Matanzas ¨Camilo Cienfuegos¨, Cuba. Autopista Varadero km 3 ^½. Correo electrónico: [e-mail]