Olfactory Responses of Corythucha ciliata Adult Females to the Volatiles of Host and Non‐Host Plants

Non‐host plant volatiles have demonstrated significant potential in insect behavior manipulation and represent valuable resources for developing alternative pest control strategies. This study investigated the olfactory responses of Corythucha ciliata (Say) (Hemiptera: Tingidae) adult females to volatiles from its host Platanus acerifolia (Aiton) Willd. (Platanaceae) and 23 non‐host plants, aiming to identify eco‐friendly agents for reducing chemical pesticide reliance. Through four‐arm olfactometer bioassays, we revealed that seven non‐host species ( Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu & Cheng (Cupressaceae), Liquidambar formosana Hance (Altingiaceae), Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) (Moraceae), Populus tomentosa Carrière (Salicaceae), Chaenomeles sinensis Koehne (Rosaceae), Liriodendron chinense (Hemsl.) (Magnoliaceae) and Fraxinus chinensis Roxb (Oleaceae)) exhibited initial attraction to C. ciliata females compared to clean air. However, when contrasted with host plant volatiles, these non‐host emissions lost their attractive effects. Six non‐host species ( Cedrus deodara (Roxb.) G. Don (Pinaceae), Pinus armandii Franch. (Pinaceae), Pinus bungeana Zucc. ex Endl. (Pinaceae), Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco (Cupressaceae), Punica granatum L. (Lythraceae) and Cotinus coggygria Scop. (Anacardiaceae)) demonstrated significant repellency. Prior exposure to these repellent volatiles reduced or completely removed such avoidance behavior, but only intermittently. This makes these repellent non‐host plants potential candidates as “push” agents in semiochemical‐based “push‐pull” management systems. This work provides a foundation for developing sustainable control strategies against this invasive pest, currently reliant on chemical interventions in China.