Feeding Behavior and Ovipositional Preference of the Tea Mosquito Bug, Helopeltis theivora (Hemiptera: Miridae) on Tea, Camellia sinensis (Theales: Theaceae)

The main objective of the present study is to investigate the feeding behavior and ovipositional preference of the tea mosquito bug (TMB), Helopeltis theivora Waterhouse (Hemiptera: Miridae) on tea plants, Camellia sinensis (Theales: Theaceae). The feeding behavior studies revealed that the number of feeding punctures per day, feeding puncture diameter and total leaf area damaged by feeding gradually increased from the early nymphal stage to the adult stage. The maximum feeding punctures were produced by females (155.4 ± 3.29), while the minimum was produced by 1st instar nymphs (87.0 ± 3.74). All stages of tea mosquitoes exhibited significant feeding behavior in all time intervals, with the maximum feeding behavior observed between 12:01 and 15:00. The ovipositional site preference study showed that female TMBs mostly prefer sites between the 1st and 2nd leaf for egg laying, while sites between the 1st and bud, and below the 3rd leaf, are least preferred. These study results may lead to the development of new cultural practices for the better management of the tea mosquito bug in tea ecosystems.