Abstract: An artificial diet without insect ingredients was evaluated for its effects on growth and fecundity of the multicolored ladybeetle Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), with pea aphids Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) as the control. The results show that cumulative survival rate of H. axyridis fed on the artificial diet from egg through adults was 82.2%, in contrast to 71.1% on A. pisum. Compared with the control, H. axyridis fed on the artificial diet showed longer developmental time (16.24 d vs. 12.47 d), lower pupal weight (27.74 mg vs. 33.93 mg) and longer lifespan (female 103.6 d, male 82.9 d vs. female 85.7 d, male 77.1 d), and fewer eggs within 10 d (about 5% of the control). However, no significant differences in emergence rate and hatchability were detected. Females originated from the artificial diet during larval stage and fed on aphids during adult stage laid 352.1 eggs within 10 d, which accounted for about 80% of the fecundity in the control. The artificial diet increased larval survival rate and adult lifespan, and there were limited negative influence on fecundity of H. axyridis fed on the diet during larval stage. Therefore the tested artificial diet is suitable for H. axyridis larvae.