The food consumption, nutritional indices and the digestive enzymes (protease, invertase, amylase, trehalase and chitinase) of Schistocerca gregaria were affected by treatment with farnesol. Treated insects oviposited fewer eggs. The total haemolymph and midgut protein significantly increased in farnesol-treated insects as compared with the control. Protein profiles in the fat body of treated females showed a significant (P < 0.05) change compared with the control females. This change in the intensity might reflect the decline in the synthesis or the increase in the utilization of this protein.