Frankliniella intonsa (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an important type of thrip and a polyphagous pest, which poses a serious threat to many crops, especially those in tropical regions of China. Its feeding behavior and the damage caused vary among different host plant species and are affected by ambient temperature and plant nutrients as well. The digestion rate is an important index for directly observing the digestion process, but there have been no studies directly measuring the digestion in thrips under the influence of different temperatures and host plants. Here, the digestion rate of F. intonsa was assessed by using a molecular diagnostic tool. We also determined the nutrient content in three host plant (mango, cowpea, and pepper), including soluble proteins, free fatty acids, soluble sugars, and water. The results showed that the high and low temperatures (16 °C and 32 °C) both seemed to accelerate the digestion of F. intonsa compared to the optimal temperature (26 °C) and the protein content of plants played an important role in the digestive response of F. intonsa to temperature changes. The findings can help reveal the feeding damage caused by F. intonsa to different plants and help to better understand its feeding ecology, according to its interaction with the host plant.

Scutellista ciruela Fonscolombe has a significant controlling effect on the rubber tree pest, Parasaissetia nigra Nietner. To identify the optimal conditions for the population growth of S. caerulea, we assessed how temperature, photoperiod, and supplementary nutrition affected its development and reproduction. The results demonstrated that the number of eggs laid and parasitism rates of S. caerulea were the highest at 33 °C. The developmental rate of S. caerulea was the fastest and the number of emerged adults the highest. The number of eggs laid and the parasitism rates increased when the light duration increased within a day. Females did not lay any eggs when the whole day was dark. At a photoperiod of 14:10 (L:D), the developmental duration was the shortest and the number of emerged adults was the highest. Adult life span was the longest under a 12:12 (L:D) photoperiod. During the adult stage, supplementary nutrition, such as sucrose, fructose, honey, and glucose, increased the life span of S. caerulea. The life span of S. caerulea was longer when provided with a supplementary diet of sucrose or honey, compared to other tested diets. The results suggested that the most suitable conditions for S. caerulea’s population growth were the following: 30 to 33 °C, with 12 to 14 h of daylight, and the provision of sucrose or honey as supplemental diet for the adults.

Temperature is a critical determinant of development and reproduction in predatory bugs of the genus Geocoris. Here, we examined thermal effects on life-history traits of Geocoris xishaensis Zhou, Cai & Gao (Hemiptera: Geocoridae), a species recently described from Hainan, China. Individuals were reared on embryo-inactivated eggs of Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) at six constant temperatures (16, 20, 24, 28, 32, and 36 °C), and developmental duration, survival, and fecundity were recorded. Age-stage, two-sex life tables were constructed, and 60-day population dynamics were projected. Geocoris xishaensis failed to complete a whole generation at 16 °C and 20 °C. Between 24 °C and 36 °C, developmental duration of each stage decreased with increasing temperature. Female fecundity was highest at 32 °C (241.12 eggs) and 28 °C (184.00 eggs). For the total generation period (including the adult preoviposition period), the lower developmental threshold was estimated to be 17.35 °C, with a corresponding thermal constant of 376.42 degree-days. The estimated number of annual generations of G. xishaensis in Hainan ranges from 7.3 to 8.45. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate of increase (λ) both peaked at 32 °C, reaching 0.0961 day⁻¹ and 1.1008 day⁻¹, respectively. Sixty-day population projections revealed increasing trends at 28–36 °C. These results indicate that, of the temperatures tested, 32 °C gave the best overall performance, followed by 28 °C; both can therefore be recommended as suitable temperatures for mass rearing.

Spalangia endius Walker, a pupal parasitoid of the alien invasive pest Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), causes 33% host mortality. This study assessed whether combining S. endius with insecticides (abamectin, thiamethoxam, nitenpyram, emamectin benzoate, or beta-cypermethrin)—all effective against Z. cucurbitae—could enhance control efficacy. Among these, abamectin was the least toxic to adult S. endius. Surface contact treatments with 12 and 15 mg a.i./kg of abamectin did not significantly increase S. endius mortality. However, mixing 12 mg a.i./kg of abamectin into a honey solution to encourage ingestion decreased the survival, parasitism, and fecundity of S. endius. In olfactometer assays, S. endius adults avoided abamectin-treated host pupae, though prior exposure to abamectin mitigated this avoidance. The timing of abamectin soil application relative to host pupation and S. endius release affects host mortality. The most effective timing is spraying abamectin before host pupation (to expose Z. cucurbitae larvae) and then releasing S. endius. Field trials confirmed that combining abamectin (12 mg a.i./kg) with S. endius increased host mortality more than either treatment alone. In conclusion, abamectin (12 mg a.i./kg) is a suitable insecticide for combination with S. endius to control Z. cucurbitae. The application sequence should be spraying abamectin before hosts pupate and, only after that, releasing the parasitoid.