Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Tea plantations in India harbour a diverse assemblage of arthropods in which predatory mites and insects play an important role in the natural suppression of economically significant pests. This review consolidates available literature on predator associations with insect pests of tea in India and presents a comprehensive checklist of documented predator–prey relationships. Published records reveal that predators belonging to Araneae, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, Heteroptera, Lepidoptera, Mantodea, Neuroptera, and Thysanoptera are associated with major tea pests such as tea mosquito bug, tea aphid, tea thrips, flushworm, jassids, scale insects, tortrix, and minor caterpillars. This review compiled 53 natural enemy taxa associated with 18 major tea pest species in India. Tea mosquito bug (Helopeltis theivora) and tea aphid (Toxoptera aurantii) exhibited the highest number of predator associations, indicating their central role in supporting natural enemy communities within tea ecosystems. Ladybird beetles, syrphid flies, lacewings, spiders, predatory bugs, and predatory thrips emerged as particularly important predator groups. The dominance of generalist predators suggests continuous background pest regulation and resilience against fluctuating pest populations in perennial tea plantations. However, indiscriminate pesticide use may disrupt these beneficial communities and weaken ecosystem stability. Conservation biological control through habitat management, selective pesticide use, and reduced chemical dependence can strengthen predator-mediated pest suppression. This review indicates that conservation of diverse predator and parasitoid guilds through habitat management and selective pesticide use can substantially strengthen ecosystem-based pest regulation. Future research should prioritize quantitative evaluation of predator efficiency, seasonal dynamics, habitat manipulation, mass rearing, and region-specific biodiversity and compatibility with integrated pest management programmes. HIGHLIGHTS Comprehensive checklist of predatory spiders and insects associated with tea insect pests in India. Tea aphid showed the highest number of predator associations. Flies, beetles, bugs and parasitoids are dominant natural enemy groups. Generalist predators provide year-round background suppression of multiple tea pests. Conservation biological control can reduce pesticide dependence in Indian tea plantations.
DOI: 10.3157/061.152.0304
Author: Vattakandy Jasin Rahman
Institution: T.K.M. College of Arts and Science
Language: English
Subfield: Insect Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7225377342