Low Cost Mass Production Technology For

Although widely recognized by the general public and growers as beneficial predators, lady beetles areonly a marginal commercial success. This proposal lays the foundation for commercialization ofColeomegilla maculata, a lady beetle with the potential to be more successful. C. maculata is a betterpest control candidate because it has a wider target pest range than Hippodamia convergens, the onlylady beetle currently sold. In addition, with the development of a proposed artificial diet and associatedlow cost mass production technology, commercially produced C. maculata will not be subject to theproblems of parasitism and migration back to hibernation sites seen with the current supply of H.convergens. Results from a preliminary experiment at Predation show that a simple diet without insectmaterial can support maturation of C. maculata at rates nearly the same as larvae fed insect material.This proposal outlines the work needed to optimize the diet from the preliminary experiment and tointegrate this diet into a low cost mass production scheme. Once large scale, low cost production of C.maculata is achieved, field trials to develop treatment rates and efficacy will be conducted.