Natural Enemy of CPB: Lebia grandis

Lebia grandis is a specialist predator/parasitoid of Colorado potato beetle  Adults eat CPB eggs and larvae; the newly hatched larvae locate and parasitize a Colorado potato beetle pupa underground.  Read about its larval and adult food preferences here.  By determining the abiotic and biotic requirements for this carabid, we aim to make this specific natural enemy more abundant and effective in controlling the Colorado potato beetle.  Photos by Zsofia Szendrei except as noted.