Abstract  [Objectives]  To determine the oviposition preferences of Loxostege sticticalis with respect to seven different pasture plants, and the effect of different host plants on the population growth of this pest. [Methods]  The relative preference of L. sticticalis for oviposition on seven different pasture plants was determined, and the growth, development, fecundity and population growth of L. sticticalis on these different plants was measured and compared. [Results]  There was a significant preference for leguminous grasses over gramineous grasses. The proportion of eggs laid on Medicago sativa, Melilotus officinalis, and Chenopodium album (control) was higher that on other plants; 17.45%, 16.02%, and 24.87%, respectively. Larvae that fed on these three plants were able to reproduce for generations, with population growth indices of 80.36, 43.74, and 34.28, respectively, while those that fed on other pasture plants could not. [Conclusion]  L. sticticalis prefers to oviposit on leguminous grasses, and these host plants are more conducive to the growth and reproduction of this pest.