Host plant species will influence the population and physiological performance of insects. Frankliniella occidentalis is a well-known invasive pest commonly found on flowering plants. Herein, the population development of F. occidentalis was investigated on the flowers of different Rosa chinensis cultivars (Ruby, Love, Parade, Pink Peace, and Mohana), and the digestive enzyme activities in thrips were measured after feeding on these flowers.The developmental times of F. occidentalis from egg to adult were 10.07, 10.37, 11.64, 10.66, and 10.90 d on Ruby, Love, Parade, Pink Peace, and Mohana, respectively. Significant differences in fecundity were also observed, with the greatest fecundity levels of F. occidentalis on Ruby (82.96) and the lowest on Mohana (63.40). F. occidentalis showed the greatest R₀ on Ruby (43.57), followed by Love (36.46), Parade (33.00), Pink Peace (27.97), and Mohana (23.21). The r_m showed a similar trend, with values of 0.156, 0.145, 0.141, 0.134, and 0.130, respectively.There were significant differences in digestive enzyme activities in F. occidentalis on different flowers, and different digestive enzymes showed different performance among these plants.The highest amylase and lipase activities in F. occidentalis were on Ruby, on which F. occidentalis had the fastest development rate and the highest R₀, whereas the highest trypsin activity was on Pink Peace. All three digestive enzymes in thrips showed the lowest activities on Mohana.The varied population development of F. occidentalis associated with R. chinensis cultivars may be related to their digestive enzyme performance, which plays important roles in nutrient metabolism and insect growth.

Graphical Abstract