Commonly used insecticides in cowpea were evaluated for their safety to the aphidophagous predator Cheilomenes sexmaculata (F.). As per IOBC standards, acute toxicity bioassays done at recommended field doses showed that dimethoate was harmful to all the lifestages with 100% mortality. Thiamethoxam was found safe to egg stage but was harmful to grubs, pupae and adults. Neem oil was harmful to the non-feeding stages, eggs and pupae, completely inhibiting egg hatching and adult eclosion; it was harmless or slightly harmful to the feeding stages. Flubendiamide and spinosad were found harmless to all the lifestages with > 10% mortality (eggs, grubs and pupae) and 12.5% to adults.