To clarify effects of host plants on the development and oviposition selection of Conogethes punctiferalis, we studied the effects of four host plants including maize, soybean, cotton and peach on the development and oviposition selection of C. punctiferalis using the laboratorial population life table assays and two-choice oviposition selection tests. The results showed that the larvae fed on cotton gave the lowest survival rate but the longest development duration, and the larvae fed on maize gave the highest survival rate but the lowest development duration. While the survival rate and development duration of larvae fed on peach and soybean were between the cotton treated group and the maize treated group. All of the pupation rate, pupa weight and pupal development duration of C. punctiferalis fed on maize were the highest, while those of C. punctiferalis fed on cotton were the lowest, those fed with soybean and peach were significantly lower than maize-fed treatment but higher than cotton-fed treatment. The eclosion rate of C. punctiferalis fed on maize was obviously higher than that fed on other three host plants. The adult longevity (female and male) and individual development duration of C. punctiferalis fed with peach were all significantly higher than that fed with others. Meanwhile, the fecundity of C. punctiferalis was the highest when fed on peach, followed by maize treatment, which are all significantly higher than soybean treatment and cotton treatment. The results of the two-choice oviposition selection tests demonstrated that there were no significant differences for the number of eggs laid by C. punctiferalis female adults between cotton treatment and maize treatment area. The similar results were observed between maize treatment and soybean treatment or cotton treatment and soybean treatment area. While in the treatment group containing peach, the number of eggs laid by the moth in cotton, maize or soybean treatment area was obviously higher than that in peach treatment area. The above results indicated that C. punctiferalis preferred to lay eggs on cotton, maize or soybean among the four testing host plants. The maize had relatively high fitness for the larvae and cotton was relatively not suitable for the growth and development of C. punctiferalis.