Hung Yi-Ting, Tang Cheng-Kang, Chung Yi-Ting, Lai Wei-Han, Ding Han-Yan, Güncan Ali, Saska Pavel, Tuan Shu-Jen
Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Program of Plant Protection and Health, Academy of Circular Economy, National Chung Hsing University, Nantou, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Sci Rep. 2025 May 6;15(1):15808. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-00567-5.
Tetranychus ludeni and Frankliniella intonsa are voracious and economically important pests of crops. Orius strigicollis is a promising biocontrol agent for managing these pests, but effective integrated pest management (IPM) requires understanding factors that influence its predation efficiency. To investigate the impact of prey species, host plant, and predator sex, we measured trichome length and density on eggplant and bean leaves and assessed body dimensions and mobility of both predator and prey. Functional response analysis, Pearson's correlation, and principal component analysis (PCA) were employed to determine the extent to which these factors affected handling time and attack rate under varying conditions. O. strigicollis consistently exhibited a Type II functional response when fed on both of thrip larvae and spider mites on eggplant and runner bean. Trichome length and density on leaves positively influenced predation by impeding mite movement, while deutonymphs of T. ludeni with minute body dimensions were more efficiently predated than 2nd instars of F. intonsa. Female predators demonstrated superior foraging performance compared to males, despite no observed differences in body size or mobility. These findings provide actionable insights for crop breeding and IPM strategies, and further field studies are recommended to validate these effects under varying environmental conditions.
卢德叶螨和西花蓟马是对农作物危害极大且具有重要经济影响的害虫。横纹蓟马是控制这些害虫的一种有前景的生物防治剂，但有效的综合害虫管理（IPM）需要了解影响其捕食效率的因素。为了研究猎物种类、寄主植物和捕食者性别对捕食效率的影响，我们测量了茄子和菜豆叶片上的毛状体长度和密度，并评估了捕食者和猎物的身体尺寸及移动性。采用功能反应分析、皮尔逊相关性分析和主成分分析（PCA）来确定这些因素在不同条件下对处理时间和攻击率的影响程度。当以茄子和菜豆上的蓟马幼虫和叶螨为食时，横纹蓟马始终表现出II型功能反应。叶片上的毛状体长度和密度通过阻碍螨类移动对捕食产生积极影响，而体型微小的卢德叶螨若螨比西花蓟马二龄幼虫更容易被捕食。尽管在体型或移动性方面未观察到差异，但雌性捕食者的觅食表现优于雄性。这些发现为作物育种和IPM策略提供了可操作的见解，建议进一步开展田间研究以验证这些影响在不同环境条件下的情况。
