The long history of rice domestication and cultivation has resulted in the formation of rich arthropod pest complex which includes insects and mites. Over more than 50 years, a great change in species composition and economic importance of rice arthropod pests has been observed in Vietnam. According to all of the results published by researchers before 2000, about 133 species of arthropods have been recorded to feed on rice. But only 74 species of arthropod have been discovered as rice pests during the survey in 2004-2010. Obviously a great number of rice pests was desappeared. This overview also presents main achievements of research on the most important insect pests. The results of research on biology, ecology of brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, rice leaffolder Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, yellow stem borer Scirpophaga incerlulas, rice gall midge Orseolia oryzae, rice ear bug Leptocorisa oratorius, rice black bug Scotinophara lurida have been summarized. In addition, a methods for control of rice insect pests in Vietnam are given in this paper.