Tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius), is one of the important agricultural pests. The effect of several control approaches, i.e. chemical control, frequency trembler grid lamps and pheromone traps, the methods based on plant attractiveness and repellency, transgenic plant, and biological control, was studied in order to reduce the population of S. litura. Chemical control made a great contribution to suppressing occurrence of S. litura and reducing its damage. Due to the negative effect of chemical control, i.e. increasing insecticide resistance, environment pollution, the damage of natural enemies and the security of human and livestock, new control strategies were needed to be discussed. Plant trap and biological control were two effective approaches among above strategies. A few botanic extracts and insect growth regulators (IGR) showed satisfied effect on controlling the larvae of S. litura, and were considered as new types of valuable biological reagent. Trap crops (e.g. taro and castor) had good attracting effect on S. litura adults. Thus we suggest that an effective ecological control combining crop trap with releasing natural enemy or pathogen will be sustainable for the control of S. litura in the future.