Beyond domatia and nutritional rewards, other plant characteristics influence the colonization of plants by natural enemies. These can include the physical size, shape, density, maturity, colour, and texture of a given plant species. Specific plant features such as the hairiness or glossiness of vegetation can have mixed effects on different natural enemies. For example, trichomes decrease hunting efficiency of many natural enemies, as trichomes tend to slow or prevent movement due to the physical obstacles they present or the adhesive secretions they produce. However, sometimes the prey species may be more impeded than the predator. For example, when the whitefly prey of the parasitoid Encarsia formosa is slowed by plant hairs, the parasitoid can detect and parasitize a higher number of juvenile whiteflies.
Many predatory coccinelid beetles have a preference for the type of leaf surface they frequent. Presented with the opportunity to land on glossy or hairy Brassica oleracea foliage, the beetles prefer the glossy foliage as they are better able to cling to these leaves. Studies are evaluating the effect of various plant genotypes on natural enemies.