An Artificial Diet for Larvae of Calosoma sycophanta (Coleoptera: Carabidae), a Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Predator

A newly-developed larval diet for Calosoma sycophanta L. consists of beef liver and chicken meat. Larvae reared individually on this diet develop at about the same rate and have the same survival as those fed gypsy moth pupae, Lymantria dispar L., the usual prey of the beetle. However, adults of diet-reared larvae were significantly smaller than adults of larvae reared on gypsy moth pupae. When reared in groups on the diet, beetles were significantly smaller and did not survive as well as those fed gypsy moth pupae. This diet, or a variation thereof, may be useful as part of a program to rear the beetle inexpensively.