Weed Management Reduces the Incidence of <i>Apolygus lucorum</i> in Tea Gardens

ABSTRACT The green mirid bug Apolygus lucorum (Meyer‐Dür) (Hemiptera: Miridae: Mirini) is an economically important polyphagous pest in tea plantations, yet the role of weeds in shaping its host use and population dynamics remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of weeds on host selection and population dynamics of A. lucorum in tea gardens with Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze (Theaceae) in Shandong Province, China, laying the foundation for ecological control of this mirid bug. Weed composition and seasonal pest dynamics were investigated using chessboard sampling and sweep‐net surveys, while dietary DNA barcoding based on chloroplast trnL–trnF markers was applied to identify host plants consumed by A. lucorum . A randomized complete block design was further employed to evaluate the effects of contrasting weeding regimes on pest abundance. The results showed that thirty weed species belonging to 14 families were recorded in the tea garden, among which 12 served as alternative hosts of A. lucorum . DNA barcoding revealed that adult A. lucorum were polyphagous but exhibited strongly biased feeding behavior, with most individuals consuming a single host plant. The most frequently detected hosts were Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze, Humulus scandens (Lour.) Merr. (Cannabaceae), and Stellaria media (L.) Vill. (Caryophyllaceae). Population monitoring showed multiple seasonal peaks closely associated with weed occurrence and flowering periods, and overall A. lucorum abundance was significantly higher in weedy tea gardens than in weed‐free plots, with earlier autumn migration observed in weedy fields. Experimental weeding significantly reduced pest populations compared with unweeded plots. These findings demonstrate that weeds function as key alternative hosts and favorable microhabitats for A. lucorum , and that targeted weed management should be integrated into pest management strategies to reduce mirid bug pressure while supporting sustainable tea production.