Host plant odours and their recognition by the odourant‐binding proteins of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)

BACKGROUND The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri, is one of the major pests in citrus production because it transmits huanglongbing, a devastating disease of citrus plants. Odourant‐binding proteins (OBPs) play an important role in the olfactory perception of insects. Revealing the function of DcitOBPs is beneficial to the development of new ACP management strategies. RESULTS An analysis of the components of volatiles from the new shoots of six host plant species showed that β‐caryophyllene was the characteristic volatile compound in flushing shoots and the most abundant volatile compound in three of the six tested ACP host plant species. The tissue expression profiles of nine known DcitOBPs were analyzed based on a transcriptome database, and DcitOBP3 and DcitOBP6 exhibited high expression in the antennae of both sexes and the ovipositor of females. The binding ability of two recombinant proteins with eight ligands was studied through competitive binding analysis; the results showed that DcitOBP6 exhibited stronger binding to β‐caryophyllene. Behavioural trials indicated that sexually mature female adults of D. citri were significantly attracted to β‐caryophyllene at concentrations of 0.1 μL mL−1 and 10 μL mL−1. RNAi analysis in female D. citri showed that the reduction of DcitOBP6 transcript abundance led to a decrease in antennae EAG activity and behavioural responses to β‐caryophyllene. CONCLUSION The results demonstrate that DcitOBP6 is involved in the perception of an important host plant volatile, β‐caryophyllene, in the ACP, and provide a theoretical foundation for behavioural interference in ACP management. Environmentally friendly management strategies for Diaphorina citri are urgently needed. The research into its olfactory mechanism in this article can contribute to the development of push–pull management strategies.