[Aim]  To identify volatile components of different cowpea Vigna sinensis (L.), assess and compare the degree of thrip damage on different cultivars, and investigate potential ecological control strategies for thrips. [Methods]  Volatiles of four cowpea cultivars (Dama, Rouma, Tianrui^②, Changma) were identified using SPME-GC-MS. The degree of thrip damage on each of the four cultivars was assessed in a 5-point field investigation. [Results]  The Rouma cultivar had the lowest number of thrips, and the Dama cultivar the highest. The Changma cultivar had the greatest species diversity of thrips. The most serious plant damage was caused by Megalurothrips usitatus, followed by Frankliniella intonsa. Twenty-three kinds of volatiles were identified in the leaves (14 in Dama, 17 in Rouma, 16 in Tianrui^②, 13 in Changma) and flowers (11 in Dama, 10 in Rouma, 12 in Tianrui^②, 17 in Changma) of the four cultivars. Eight compounds in leaves and flowers were shared by all four cultivars. Benzaldehyde and β-ionone content was relatively high and stable in the leaves of the Dama, Rouma and Changma varieties, significantly higher than was found in the Tianrui^② variety (P<0.000 1). Among the volatiles identified, fatty acid derivatives were the most abundant, followed by benzene compounds. Fatty acid derivatives were the most abundant volatiles of the Dama, Rouma, Tianrui^② cultivars, followed by terpenes, which were the most abundant volatiles of the Changma cultivar. [Conclusion]  The dominant thrip species and primary volatile compounds differed among four cowpea cultivars. Common volatiles, such as benzaldehyde and β-ionone, were common in leaves, whereas linalool and methyl palmitate were more common in flowers. Several cultivar-specific volatiles were identified, such as cis-3-hexenyl acetate, which was unique to leaves of the Tianrui^② cultivar, hexadecanal, which was unique to leaves of the Dama cultivar, 1-octene-3-ol, which was unique to the flowers of the Dama cultivar, acetophenone, which was unique to the flowers of the Changma cultivar, stearaldehyde, which was unique to flowers of the Rouma cultivar, and phytone, which was unique to flowers of the Tianrui^② cultivar. Combined with the level of damage found on each cultivar and information in the existing literature, it can be inferred that benzaldehyde, linalool, cis-3-hexenyl acetate, β-ionone, 1-octene-3-ol, acetophenone, benzenepropanol, 3-phenyl-2-propenal, 2-amino-methyl ester benzoic acid and 2-hydroxy-methyl ester benzoic acid, are potentially important compounds that influence the relative preference of thrips for these cultivars.