Predation evaluation of the green lacewing, Chrysopa pallens on the pink tea mite pest, Acaphylla theae (Watt) ( Acarina : Eriophyidae )

A better understanding of predator-prey interactions is crucial for the development of biological control strategies. The green lacewing, , is a well-known generalist predator and reportedly functions as one of the most important biological control agents of insect pests. However, information regarding . ' predation on tea plant pests, particularly notorious tea mites, remains largely unknown. In this study, we focused on the predator-prey relationship between . and an important tea mite pest, . We designed species-specific primers for the detection of DNA and established a PCR-based DNA gut content analysis assay. These results demonstrated that the primers were -specific and suitable for its molecular identification. The laboratory feeding experiment showed that the detectability success (DS ) of DNA remaining in guts was 2.9 h. We then performed a molecular detection of field predation, and achieved a 23.53% positive detection rate of DNA in the guts of field-collected . This, for the first time, provides direct evidence that can prey on in tea plantations. Finally, we tested the prey preference and estimated the predation ability of on different developmental stages of . The results revealed that had no significant preference for different developmental stages of . The functional responses of ' predation on different densities of at different developmental stages followed a Type II Holling model. The initial attack rate (a') ranged from 0.735 to 0.858 and the handling time (T ) was approximately 0.01. This study is the first to demonstrate the trophic interactions between and and provides evidence for the development of biological control strategies against using as a candidate predator.