The technologies of zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, CRISPR; CRISPR associated protein, Cas) are three major genome editing techniques that have being developed in recent years. The basic principle is to make DNA double-strand break (DSB) damaged in the genome specific sites and to activate the body′s own DNA damage repair mechanism, then causing all sorts of variation in the process. The genome editing techniques have important research prospect in the research of gene function and gene repair. They are also expected to become the main strategy of insect genetic transformation since they have many merits. For example, CRISPR/Cas can be used to edit multiple specific loci in the genome. In this paper, the basic principles of the ZFNs, activation of transcription factor type nucleic acid enzymes and CRISPR/Cas technologies and their applications in insects are briefly introduced. The information provides some references for the use of genome editing techniques in insect genetic transformation.