Impact of prey species, host plant, and predator sex on the functional response of Orius strigicollis

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.