The polyphagous nature of the dark-headed rice stem borer, Chilotraea polychrysa (Meyr.), may contribute greatly to its ability to survive periods of food shortage when rice plants are scarce. Investigations on the preference and survival of C. polychrysa on seven selected hosts belonging to the Gramineae revealed that it oviposited on all the hosts tested, but showed a marked preference for its normal host, rice (Oryza sativa). Survival rates on rice and the alternate hosts did not differ significantly. The percentage of larvae surviving to the adult stage was generally low because of the high rate of mortality from larval to pupal stage, irrespective of host species. In rice, there was distinct ovipositional preference for plants at the maximum vegetative stage rather than for younger plants. The larval survival rate increased with the age of the host from 35 to 65 days, but dropped sharply when infestation occurred on plants 80 days old, by which time the inflorescence is beginning to emerge.