[Objectives]  To obtain olfactory gene information and establish a transcriptome database for the adult rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica. [Methods]  The C. cephalonica transcriptome was sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq platform, the original data were assembled and analyzed using the Trinity software package and Blast was used to annotate unigenes in 7 databases. The expression of pheromone binding proteins (PBPs) and general odorant binding proteins (GOBPs) in different adult moth tissues was then detected using PCR. [Results]  A total of 58 534 unigenes were obtained, 25 879 of which were annotated with an N50 value of 2 212 bp and mean length of 1 251 bp. C. cephalonica unigenes had highest similarity (28.2%) to those of Amyelois transitella; 20 odorant binding proteins (OBPs) genes, 18 chemosensory proteins (CSPs) genes, 2 general odorant binding protein (GOBPs) genes and 3 pheromone binding proteins (PBPs) genes, were identified and uploaded to NCBI. PBPs and GOBPs were highly expressed in the antennae of adult moths but expression was lower in the head, thorax, abdomen, leg and wing. PBP3 was not expressed in the thorax, and GOBP2 was only highly expressed in the antennae and not in other tissues. [Conclusion]  The results significantly increase the available information on the olfactory genes of C. cephalonica, and provide a molecular foundation for the study of olfactory recognition mechanisms and the development of attractants for this pest.