Leaf Age-Dependent Volatile Cues Influence Host Location and Oviposition Preference of Obolodiplosis robiniae on Robinia pseudoacacia

Simple SummaryObolodiplosis robiniae(Haldeman) is an important pest ofRobinia pseudoacaciaL., with damage mainly occurring on tender leaves. To better understand why females prefer these young tissues, we compared egg-laying behavior and odor responses of gravid females between tender leaves and mature leaves. Females laid many more eggs on tender leaves and were more attracted to odors released from tender leaves than to those from mature leaves. Chemical analysis further showed that the two leaf ages released different volatile blends. These results suggest that odors associated with leaf age may help females locate suitable oviposition sites. This study provides useful information for understanding host selection inO. robiniaeand may support the future development of environmentally friendly control strategies based on host plant volatile cues.Obolodiplosis robiniae(Haldeman) is a specialist herbivore ofRobinia pseudoacaciaL., and its infestation is closely associated with tender leaf tissues. The ability of gravid females to recognize suitable host tissues is essential for successful oviposition and subsequent population development. Here, we assessed whether leaf age affects the host-selection behavior ofO. robiniaeand whether volatile organic compounds are associated with this process. Laboratory oviposition assays were used to compare egg deposition on tender leaves and mature leaves ofR. pseudoacacia, and Y-tube olfactometer bioassays were performed to evaluate female responses to odors from the two leaf ages. Volatiles released from healthy tender leaves and mature leaves were collected using dynamic headspace sampling and characterized by thermal desorption–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis, and variable importance in projection scores were used to compare volatile profiles between leaf ages. Gravid females deposited significantly more eggs on tender leaves than on mature leaves in both choice and no-choice assays. Females also showed a significant olfactory preference for tender-leaf odors when directly offered a choice between volatiles from tender leaves and mature leaves, with 76.47% of responding individuals selecting tender-leaf odors and 23.53% selecting mature-leaf odors. Chemical profiling identified 28 volatile compounds across the two leaf ages, and their composition and relative abundance differed markedly. Among shared compounds, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol and α-farnesene differed significantly between tender leaves and mature leaves. Multivariate analyses further identified several candidate compounds contributing to leaf age-related volatile differences. These results indicate that leaf age influences both oviposition behavior and odor-mediated host location inO. robiniae. Leaf age-dependent volatile blends may serve as important chemical cues associated with host selection by gravid females and provide a basis for future studies on volatile-mediated management strategies.