【Background】Larval aggregative feeding on invasive common ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.is frequently observed by the specialist Ophraella communa LeSage in the field, which suggests selective oviposition in adult females.【Method】To explore potential factors affecting oviposition choices of the insect a random survey of main distribution areas in mainland China was conducted for the number of eggmasses laid during July~August, 2005, including Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan Provinces. Additionally, a crossseason survey of tagged plants was made for incidences of oviposition from 25 May to 1 September, 2008. Generalized linear models (logit linkfunction) were used to analyze potential factors influencing the probability of oviposition.【Result】Analysis of the random survey indicated that the number of eggmasses increased with increasing canopy diameter and level of plant healthiness. With every cm of canopy diameter increase, there was an increase of 2% in eggmasses, while the number of eggmasses nearly doubled with one degree increase in healthiness. Under condition of preexisting presence of one conspecific larva or pupa, eggmasses increased by 2% with plant one degree of healthiness but decreased by 0.〖KG-*8〗6% with 1 cm increase in canopy diameter. A significant influence of plant canopy, healthiness, colonization by conspecifics, and their interactions was found, but not of growth stage. The probability of eggmass deposition on the plants increased with plant patch size, canopy diameter, growth stage, and habitat shadiness. The probability increased by 0.〖KG-*8〗5% with an increase in plant patch size by one plant, by 3% with an increase in plant canopy diameter by 1 cm.【Conclusion and significance】Factors associated with individual plants influence the number of egg masses deposited, but traits linked with plant population and its habitats affected the probability of egg deposition.