Components of resistance in seven rice varieties to the Whitebacked planthopper,Sogatella furcifera(Horvath), were studied in terms of nymphal preference, adult preference, ovipositional preference, nymphal survival, nymphal duration, adult longevity, fecundity, percentage of egg hatch and population build‐up. Both nymphs and adults showed distinct non‐preference reactions to the resistant varieties for feeding, orientation and oviposition. The resistant varieties had an adverse influence on the nymphal survival and duration, as well as on the longevity and fecundity of adult females. However, resistance in rice did not have an appreciable effect on egg hatching. The adverse effects of resistant varieties had a cumulative effect on the insect population build‐up through several generations. The overall assessment in the present study indicated that resistance in rice to the Whitebacked planthopper was shown by the combined influence of non‐preference by the hopper for feeding, orientation and oviposition coupled with antibiosis.