Functional Response and Control Potential of Orius sauteri (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) on Tea Thrips (Dendrothrips minowai Priesner)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Globally, the tea plant is an economically significant beverage crop, especially in China. Tea thrips are one of the most destructive pest species in the tea industry. Orius sauteri, a predatory insect, has been introduced as a natural enemy for other pests in different plants. In this paper, we primarily evaluate the functional response and control potential of Orius sauteri on tea thrips for the purpose of applying Orius sauteri as their natural enemy. We studied the functional response and searching rate of O. sauteri, and the results indicated that O. sauteri possesses good control potential regarding the thrips. ABSTRACT: This study aimed to clarify the functional response and control potential of O. sauteri in relation to tea thrips. The functional response, interference response, and control potential of O. sauteri on adult tea thrips, in different insect stages and environment temperatures, were studied. The results showed that the predation of O. sauteri against tea thrips was positively correlated with prey density, while the effects of searching for O. sauteri on the adult tea thrips were negatively correlated with prey density. The predation effects of O. sauteri on tea thrips were also influenced by prey density, which indicated that there was an intra-specific interference response from predators to tea thrips. The population density of tea thrips was significantly decreased, and O. sauteri showed a remarkable ability to control them when the benefit-to-harm ratio was 3:100.