Calleida splendidula Fabricius

Like Parena nigrolineat this carabid also predates on Opisina arenosella in South lndia. The female lay its oval eggs singly near the edges of the galleries of Opisina larvae and fasten them to the surface of the leaflet. The eggs hatch in 4-5 days. The female lays 25 to 63 eggs during the course of 21- 50 days. The grubs are full fed in 16 days. The pupal period lasts 5 days in August and 13 days in June.

The adult consumes on an average 6 to 11 Opisina caterpillars and the grub consumes on an average 9 - 12 caterpillars. The adults are also capable of feeding on the pupae of Opisina.

Five adults of Calleida splendidula are released in each of the specimen glass jars (15 x 5 cm) and covered with mull cloth. Fresh coconut leaf bits, 10 cm long, containing adequate number of fourth instar caterpillars of Opisina arenosella are provided in each jar. The leaf bits are examined daily for oval shaped egg. The eggs are removed daily with small bits of the leaf lamina and kept in glass tubes (8 x 2.5 cm) for hatching.

Additional moisture is provided in glass tubes by keeping small rolls of cotton wool soaked in water. The tubes are either plugged firmly with cotton rolls or covered with mull cloth.

The hatched grubs are collected daily and transferred individually to separate glass vials (8 x 2.5 cm). In view of the cannibalistic behaviour of grubs in the early stages they are reared individually in separate glass vials. Initially each grub is provided with one second instar caterpillar of Opisina arenosella as food. Thereafter fourth instar caterpillars, are provided as and when required.

When the grubs attain maturity and stop feeding they are maintained in glass bottles 15 x 5 cm) with moistened moss. The 1ife cycle is completed in about 24 days (17-36 days).

The roundish egg, three larval instars, pre-pupal and pupal stages last 5.2 (5-6), 11(6-16), 34(2-5) and 5.4(5-6) days, respectively. The male and female adult beetles live for 214 (7-497) and 196 (21- 486) days respectively. The grub consumes only 4.4 fourth instar caterpillars in 3.5 days. The adult male consumes 6.7 caterpillars in 214 days and female 67.59 caterpillars in 196.2 days.