[Aim]  To determine the relative preference of the Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis, for ovipositing on the Russian olive tree, Elaeagnus angustifolia, a species with the ability to kill the eggs and larvae of this pest and that is also a pioneer tree species for afforestation in the Hexi Corridor region in Gansu Province. [Methods]  The oviposition preferences of A. glabripennis for different tree species were tested under laboratory conditions, and combined with field surveys of the damage caused by A. glabripennis on different tree species in the field. [Results]  Laboratory tests of the oviposition preferences of A. glabripennis revealed a preference for Populus × xiaohei var. gansuensis, with an average number of oviposition scars of (16.0±4.5) per segment. This was followed by E. angustifolia and the insect-susceptible tree species Salix matsudana, with an average of (11.3±2.8) and (7.5±2.8) oviposition scars per segment, respectively. The least preferred host species was P. alba var. pyramidalis with only one oviposition scar. A two-by-two comparison of date palms and other potential hosts revealed no difference in the number of eggs laid on E. angustifolia compared to other tree species. In mixed forests planted with E. angustifolia, the numbers of adult A. glabripennis feeding, perching, mating, scarring and ovipositing, on E. angustifolia and P. gansuensis were significantly higher than on other tree species (P < 0.05). The numbers of A. glabripennis feeding and scarring on E. angustifolia were significantly higher than on Salix wilhelmsiana, S. matsudana and P. alba var. pyramidalis (P < 0.05), but were not significantly different than on P. gansuensis (P > 0.05). These results indicate that E. angustifolia is highly attractive to A. glabripennis. Very few adult A. glabripennis were found on P. alba var. pyramidalis in different mixed forest plots, and almost no damage was observed on this species. There was no significant difference in the proportion of individual trees of each species that had A. glabripennis oviposition scars; > 70 % of trees of each species had scars. [Conclusion]  A. glabripennis has an obvious preference for E. angustifolia for both feeding and oviposition, which means that the latter can act as a trap-tree to protect the more susceptible species P. alba var. pyramidalis.