Abstract: Theoretical basis and application of stable isotope analysis in insect ecology as well as its principle and method are reviewed, and its further application prospects are suggested. The isotopic differences among host plants constitute the basis of this technique, in which D,¹³C, ¹⁵N and ¹⁸O are mainly involved. Stable isotope analysis is widely used in dietary reconstruction, host-shifting and migration, flows of mass and energy through ecosystems, and construction of food web. The longterm preserved specimens and fossil insects, when used for stable isotope analysis, can expand the temporal scale of these studies greatly. The applications of mass balance equation and mixing model along with the verification of diet turnover time are important steps to validate related ecological process; and more experiments are needed to test the effects of ecological, physiological and biochemical process on isotope fractionation.

Key words: Stable isotope analysis, dietary reconstruction, host-shifting, migration, energy flow, food web