First Record of Nysius ericae (Schilling) on Tea Plants (Camellia sinensis)

(1) Background: In recent years, new pests have been constantly emerging in tea trees, posing a significant threat to tea production. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor and investigate whether new pests have emerged in tea trees. (2) Methods: A new tea pest discovered in a tea garden was identified through mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequence analysis and observation of morphological characteristics. Its occurrence pattern was also analyzed in detail, and preliminary control methods were proposed. (3) Results: During the 2023 tea garden pest investigation, we discovered a new tea pest for the first time in a tea garden in Jiepai Town, Hengyang County, Hengyang City, Hunan Province, and identified it as Nysius ericae (Schilling). The results indicated that N. ericae was mainly fed on the upper leaves of tea trees, and high temperature and drought were suitable for its occurrence. Furthermore, various concentrations (1~16 mg/L) of matrine showed significant toxicity against N. ericae under laboratory conditions. (4) Conclusions: Our research has discovered for the first time a new pest of tea trees, providing an important scientific foundation for the monitoring, early warning, and prevention and control of N. ericae in tea gardens, which is of great significance for ensuring the ecological security and tea quality of tea gardens.