Selectivity mechanism of Anoplophora glabripennis on four different species of maples

Anoplophora glabripennis (Motsch.) is a wood-boring beetle that is native to China. For a long time, it caused great losses in the economy and ecology of northwest China. Attractants are often used to control insects. The volatiles emitted from the host plant play an important role for insects in finding their target. To explore the mechanism of selec-tivity to different host plants, the response of Anoplophora glabripennis to four different host plants was investigated, which included Acer negundo L., Acer mono Maxim., Acer truncatum Bunge. and Acer platanoides L., and the com-pounds in the profiles of volatiles were identified from these species. The olfactory responses ofAnoplophora glabripennis to the odors of different plants showed preference for certain host plants: Acer negundo, Acer mono and Acer truncatum. The attraction ofAcer negundo and Acer mono was signifi-cantly different (p<0.05). The attraction ofAcer negundo to the insects was stronger than to Acer mono. Acerplatanoides neither attracted nor repelled the insects. Compounds in the profiles of volatiles from the above four species were identified and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spec-trometry (GC-MS) equipped with a CP-4020 termodesorp-tion and cold trap (TCT) device. The constituents ofvolatiles and the relative concentrations were different in the four host species. The amount of ketones, alcohols and aldehydes in the four plants showed the same order: Acer negundo Acer mono Maxim.>Acer truncatum Bunge.>Acer platanoides L.. 1-penten-3-ol, ocimene and trans-Germanylacetone were repellent to Anoplophora glabripennis. 1-penten-3-ol and trans-gerranylacetone were identified in Acer platanoides, and Ocimene was the most attractive to Anoplophora glabripennis among these species. The extent of feeding damage caused by Anoplophora glabripennis differed among four species. The sequences was Acer negundo > Acer mono > Acer truncatum > Acer platanoides. The epidermal hairs of the four host plants revealed that the extent of damage was related to the physical characteristics of the host plants.