Occurrence and Distribution of on Weed Hosts and Tea Plants in Tea Plantation Ecosystems.

The mirid bugs are one of the most important piercing-sucking insect pests in tea plantations, which severely reduce the quality and economic benefits of tea. In this study, the mirid bug species in the three tea-producing areas in Shandong Province of China were investigated. The distribution and occurrence of dominant species of mirid bugs on four weed host plants and tea plants (L.) O. Kuntze (Theaceae) were also studied in the tea agro-ecosystems. The results showed that (Meyer-Dür) (Hemiptera: Miridae) was the dominant mirid bug species in the tea growing areas. densities on (Lour.) (Moraceae) and DC. (Asteraceae) were relatively higher than those on (Linn) Cronq (Asteraceae), Linn (Asteraceae), and . Host plant switching of in the tea agro-ecosystem was: scattered on and seriously infested tea plants in June and July; largely migrated to and gathered on , , , and at the flowering stage, and population densities of on these flowering hosts peaked in late September; in October, gradually moved back to flowering tea plants. These results could provide a reference for selecting host plants, such as plants, as trap plants for sustainable control of mirid bugs in tea plantations.