Abstract: 【Objective】 To assess the insecticidal activities of Cacalia tangutica based on previous researches. 【Method】 The activities of several compounds from Cacalia tangutica against Musca domestica, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus, Pieris rapae, Ostrinia furnacalis, Solenopsis invicta were bioassayed by contact, stomach poison and drop treatment. 【Result and conclusion】 The results indicated that friedelin possessed a strong contact toxicity against third-instar larvae of M. domestica, and the corrected mortality was 86.18% after treatment for 48 h with 1 μg each larva by topical application, which was not significantly different from that of rotenone(85.67%). Friedelin, kaempferol and rotenone were equitoxic to fourth-instar larvae of C. pipiens quinquefasciatus. The corrected mortalities after treatment for 72 h were more than 80%. Moreover, friedelin had some degree of contact toxicities against third-instar larvae of P. rapae, fourth-instar larvae of O. furnacalis and S. invicta. Friedelin, quercetin and kaempferol had obvious stomach poison activities to S. invicta. Generally friedelin, quercetin and kaempferol are the active ingredients of C. tangutica.