New Zealand is not free from insect pests. They occur in all kinds of agriculture such as grassland, field crops, vegetables and horticultural crops, and plants generally. They are troublesome in forest trees and in milled timber, and in stored products including flour, grain, and dried fruits. They may be carriers of human diseases and plant viruses and sources of injury and annoyance to man and stock. But there are many insects that are beneficial; for example, the natural enemies of pests and weeds, and the bees that pollinate the crops.

The main insect pests in New Zealand are grouped according to the various fields of human interest.