A simplified and improved rearing system was developed for the mahogany shoot borer, Hypsipyla grandella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in the laboratory. Improvements were made in neonate rearing, larval containers, adult mating cages and the diet, making the rearing protocols more suitable for eventual large-scale rearing. The larval diet was modified by replacing ingredients with cheaper equivalents that also would be more readily available throughout the year. Cedar seeds in the larval diet were replaced with dried cedar leaves, which are available for longer periods during the year. There were no significant differences in pupal weight, duration of pupal development, fertility (egg hatch) and fecundity (number of eggs oviposited) between organisms reared on the new diet or the original diet. However, larval development took 2 d longer using the new diet. A new method for rearing neonate larvae is proposed, which includes the use of well plates that contain the modified diet. This allowed the rearing of larvae from 1st to 3rd instars without the need for fresh material. Neonate larvae reared on this diet were heavier and survived longer compared to larvae reared on fresh cedar leaves. Jars used for the larval rearing phase were replaced with Petri dishes. Mating and oviposition were accomplished inside the insectaries with air flow directed through the rearing cages. This is the first report of rearing H. grandella successfully under artificial conditions for 7 generations. The new rearing protocols will allow the maintenance of larger-sized colonies for further development of bio-rational pest management strategies that could include a sterile insect technique (SIT) component.