Insect pests and their damage were observed in a new early‐maturing maize variety and a common traditional variety, cultivated with and without chemical fertilizer in highland Ecuador. Observations were made on unsprayed experimental plots from farmers’ fields: at early whorl (25–29 days after planting), mid‐whorl (69–80 days), and during ear maturation (148–203 days after planting). Foliar damage by the principal pestsAgrotis deprivataandDargida grammivoralarva was minimal. The early‐maturing variety suffered significantly more earworm damage from Ecuador's three principal pests of ripening maize:Heliothis zea, A. deprivataandEuxesta eluta.Of the traditional and early varieties respectively, 24.4% and 35.6% of the ears were damaged by Lepidoptera larvae, and 19.5% and 24.2% byE. eluta.The greater damage observed in the early variety may be the result of reduced husk tightness. Two parasites were reared fromA. deprivatalarvae collected in maize whorls,Thymebatissp., Fam. Ichneumonidae andArchytas marmoratusFam. Tachinidae. There was no significant yield difference between the two varieties. However, the new variety's greater susceptibility to insect damage may reduce its adoption by the small‐scale farmers for whom it was developed, and its use may initiate pesticide applications where not previously used.