Plant-Driven Effects of Wildflower Strips on Natural Enemy Biodiversity and Pest Suppression in an Agricultural Landscape in Hangzhou, China

Agricultural intensification has led to biodiversity loss and compromised ecosystem services, necessitating sustainable pest management strategies. This study evaluates the efficacy of wildflower strips (WFS) in enhancing natural enemy communities and suppressing pest activity in rice-wheat rotation landscapes of eastern China. An experiment compared WFS (10-species mixtures) with natural grass strips (CK) across biodiversity, functional traits, and pest dynamics. WFS significantly increased parasitic wasp α-diversity (species richness: +195.5%, activity density: +362.0%) and suppressed pest (Armadillidium vulgare) populations by 68%, primarily through female-biased sex ratios and functional trait shifts. Key species like Lindenius mesopleuralis and Ectemnius continuus emerged as indicators of WFS habitats. Spider communities showed no β-diversity differentiation but exhibited functional guild shifts (e.g., web-building specialists). Plant community composition, particularly floral resource availability and phenological continuity, drove natural enemy assembly and pest regulation, outperforming the CK group in rare species conservation. Our findings highlight WFS as a precision tool for enhancing pest control through targeted plant selection and trait-mediated interactions. This study advances the understanding of habitat-driven pest regulation, providing a framework for optimizing ecological intensification in agroecosystems.