Abstract: Aphids are one of the most destructive agricultural pests worldwide, causing serious yield and quality losses through sucking plant sap, transmitting viruses, and inducing sooty mold. Using chemical insecticides is the primary control measure for aphids, but under actual field conditions, chemical degradation and uneven application frequently expose aphids to sublethal concentrations of insecticides. Such exposures not only significantly alter the life table parameters of aphids, including longevity, fecundity, and intrinsic rate of increase, but also trigger upregulation of detoxification (e.g. P450s, CarEs, GSTs, and UGTs) and chemosensory (e.g. CSPs) genes, with some effects persisting across generations. These changes, together with target-site mutations, changes of cuticular structure, and behavioral avoidance, can accelerate aphids' resistance evolution. Emerging evidence also implicates the involvement of symbiont communities and epigenetic regulation in this process. This review summarizes the research progress of sublethal effects of insecticides on aphid population ecology, biochemistry and molecular responses, as well as the resistance status and mechanisms of aphids to insecticides. In addition, the association between sublethal effects and resistance development was analyzed from different aspects, including maternal effects, epigenetic regulation, activation of detoxification-related genes and metabolic enzymes, suggesting sublethal exposure may act as an “invisible accelerator” of resistance evolution. Finally, key directions for future research were outlined, emphasizing that current studies remain largely confined to a single stress or under laboratory conditions and lack mechanism verification in complex field environments. Therefore, conducting relevant research in field contexts is essential to provide a scientific basis for assessing aphid resistance risks and formulating more effective integrated pest management (IPM) strategies.