【Background】Experience has influence on host selection behavior in herbivorous insects, which can affect host specificity testing design and the explanation of the results.【Method】Multiple choice trials were performed on the exotic lepidopteran, Ophraella communa, an important biological control agent of the invasive common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, to evaluate how previous feeding experiences during early adulthood influenced subsequent oviposition choices.【Result】Adults after emergence with prior feeding experience on nontarget plants, A.trifida, Xanthium sibiricum or Helianthus tuberosus increased oviposition on X.sibiricum, while not on the target weed, A.artemisiifolia. The analyses using Cox regression model of recognition time to oviposition indicated that prior feeding experience on different plant species had significant influence on oviposition choices for the respective plants they experienced. The tendency of oviposition on X.sibiricum was significantly lower compared to that on A.artemisiifolia when the adults had a feeding experience on A.artemisiifolia or A.trifida, but not different when the insects had such experience on X.sibiricum, H.tuberosus, or H.annuus.【Conclusion and significance】Feeding experiences on plants early at adult stage can influence ensuing oviposition host selection. Therefore, caution should be exercised in routine hostspecificity test when dealing with feeding test insects prior to the testing.