Abstract: The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), is a major rice pest in China and some other Asian countries. Due to the heavy and frequent application of insecticides, N. lugens has evolved different levels of resistance to many insecticides. To carry out research on the insecticides resistance of N. lugens will provide important theoretical basis for the rapid detection, and management of resistance, and also integrated the control of N. lugens. This review summarized the resistance level dynamics, cross resistance, fitness costs and inheritance of insecticide resistance in N. lugens. The metabolic and target resistance mechanisms of N. lugens to insecticides have also been reviewed. Finally, the main problems in this research area are discussed and the future development directions are forecasted.