Five species of carabids (Pterostichus melanarius Illiger,Pterostichus lucublandusSay,Bembidion quadrimaculatum oppositumSay,Clivina fossorL., andAnisodactylus santaecrucisF.) were offered carrot weevil eggs, fourth instars, pupae, teneral or overwintered adults in single and multiple food choice tests. In single food tests, all species consumed three or more stages of carrot weevil. The smaller carabids (B. quadrimaculatum oppositumandC. fossor) were the best consumers of eggs; the largest carabid,P. melanarius, was the only species that consumed high numbers of teneral and overwintered adults. All species were good consumers of fourth instars and pupae. In multiple choice food tests,P. melanariusandC. fossorconsumed the same stages as in the single food tests and showed no preference for any particular weevil stage. In contrast,A. santaecrucisandB. quadrimaculatum oppositumhad a preference for pupae, whereasP. lucublandusselected fourth instars. These preferences were not shown in the single food tests indicating the importance of multiple choice food tests for assessment of polyphagous predators. In voracity tests,P. melanariusandP. lucublandusconsumed three times more thanA. santaecrucisorB. quadrimaculatum oppositum.