Preliminary screening of feed materials for Hepialus larvae and study on its feeding habits

Common and nutritive food and Chinese medicinal materials were preliminarily screened to select the suitable feeds for the large-scale artificial rearing of Hepialus larvae in low-altitude area, and the feeding habits of the fifth instar larvae on selected feeds were analyzed. The results showed that carrot, artificial feed and the dried Radix pseudostellaria would not deteriorate in 15 days; the larvae refuse to feed on dried Radix pseudostellaria, like to feed on carrot and cabbage leaves, but cabbage leaves were bad to the larvae growth because of its large moist content; the weight increase of larvae fed cabbage leaf, sweetpotato, fresh corn and artificial feed was higher than Colocasia esculenta and carrot with very significant difference; the food conversion rate of fresh corn and artificial feed were both higher than 8.00%, and sweetpotato was 7.00%, which were all significantly higher that of carrot.