[Objectives]  To investigate the population dynamics of the natural predators of pest insects in apple orchards planted with different companion plants. [Methods]  Insects in two orchards planted with different companion plants in Yan'an, Shaanxi province were monitored using the Markov net method from March to April in 2020, and the diversity and distribution of each functional insect group was quantified and analyzed. [Results]  A total of 4 428 individual insects were collected, which were classified into 43 species, 39 families and 7 orders. 1 046 individual insects (26 species) were captured in the orchard co-planted with rapeseed (YC). The dominant species in this orchard was Chromatomyia horticola. 3 382 individual insects (36 species) were captured in co-planted with Vicia villosa (MS). The dominant species in this orchard was Diarthronomyia chrysanthemi. The Shannon Wiener diversity and S_a/S_i stability index of the YC orchard were significantly higher than those of MS orchard. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) shows that the diversity and abundance of predatory species and herbivorous pests were higher in the MS than in the YC orchard. [Conclusion]  The insect community was more stable in an orchard co-planted with rapeseed than in one co-planted with V. villosa. The diversity of predatory species and herbivorous pests were positively correlated and there was a similar correlation between the individual abundances of these groups. These results clarify the distribution and diversity of functional insect groups in two different companion plant crops in apple orchards, which provides information for selecting suitable companion plants for apple orchards and the prevention and control of apple pests.