Abstract: Responses of insects to air pollution have been a hot spot of studies since the 1980s.A review is presented of effects of major air pollutants,such as sulfur dioxide,nitrogen oxides,acid rain,ozone,fluorides on phytophagous insects,with a general conclusion that the pollutants,except ozone,when low or moderate in concentration,contribute to growth of the insects whereas when high in concentration,inhibit their growth,but their response to air pollution varies from species to species.To ozone pollution the insects respond variably without following a uniform law.In addition,mechanisms of the effects are also discussed.One is via the host of plants and the other via the ecosystem.

Key words: phytophagous insects, air pollution, mechanism