Damage caused by the rice striped stem borer (SSB), Chilo suppressalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is much more severe on indica/xian rice than on japonica/geng rice (Oryza sativa) which matches pest outbreak data in cropping regions of China. The mechanistic basis of this difference among rice subspecies remains unclear. Using transcriptomic, metabolomic and genetic analyses in combination with insect bioassay experiments, we showed that japonica and indica rice utilise different defence responses to repel SSB, and that SSB exploited plant nutrition deficiencies in different ways in the subspecies. The more resistant japonica rice induced patterns of accumulation of methyl jasmonate (MeJA—part of a defensive pathway) and vitamin B1 (VB1—a nutrition pathway) distinct from indica cultivars. Using gene‐edited rice plants and SSB bioassays, we found that MeJA and VB1 jointly affected the performance of SSB by disrupting juvenile hormone levels. In addition, genetic variants of key biosynthesis genes in the MeJA and VB1 pathways (OsJMT and OsTH1, respectively) differed between japonica and indica rice and contributed to performance differences; in indica rice, SSB avoided the MeJA defence pathway and hijacked the VB1 nutrition‐related pathway to promote development. The findings highlight important genetic and mechanistic differences between rice subspecies affecting SSB damage which could be exploited in plant breeding for resistance. Summary Statement This manuscript demonstrates that striped stem borer (SSB) avoided one defence pathway and hijacked another nutrition‐related pathway to promote development. The findings highlight important genetic and mechanistic differences between rice subspecies affecting SSB damage which could be exploited in plant breeding for resistance.