Ecological research conducted over the past five decades has shown that increasing tree species richness at forest stands can improve tree resistance to insect pest damage. However, the commonality of this finding is still under debate. In this review, we provide a quantitative assessment (i.e., a meta-analysis) of tree diversity effects on insect herbivory and discuss plausible mechanisms underlying the observed patterns. We provide recommendations and working hypotheses that can serve to lay the groundwork for research to come. Based on more than 600 study cases, our quantitative review indicates that insect herbivory was, on average, lower in mixed forest stands than in pure stands, but these diversity effects were contingent on herbivore diet breadth and tree species composition. In particular, tree species diversity mainly reduced damage of specialist insect herbivores in mixed stands with phylogenetically distant tree species. Overall, our findings provide essential guidance for forest pest management.