Habitat–Stratum and Adjacent Habitat Influence Arthropod Predation Pressure in Tea Plantations

Predators play a key role in regulating herbivore populations in agroecosystems, and preserving natural and semi-natural habitats within agricultural landscapes can help maintain viable natural enemy populations. In this study, we used artificial caterpillars to assess how habitat–stratum combination and season are associated with attack rates as a proxy for predation pressure in tea plantations in Fujian Province, China. We compared three habitat–stratum combinations: tea canopy (TC), tea ground (TG), and adjacent forest ground (FG). Overall, 33.7% of the artificial caterpillars showed signs of predation, with attack rates of 27.9% by arthropods and 5.8% by vertebrates. Attack rates were significantly influenced by both habitat–stratum combination and season. Specifically, ground habitats (TG and FG) exhibited the highest attack rates, although no significant difference was detected between TG and FG. Total and arthropod attack rates peaked in summer and autumn, whereas vertebrate attack rates remained consistent across seasons. These findings indicate that attack rates on artificial prey in tea agroecosystems varied strongly with habitat–stratum combination and season, with arthropods as the dominant predator guild. Maintaining habitat heterogeneity and adopting stratum-specific field management practices (e.g., retaining litter layers for ground-dwelling predators and minimizing soil disturbance) represent plausible strategies, though their effects on realized pest suppression and crop yield remain to be experimentally tested.