As the most species-rich group in the eukaryote, insects have evolved unique growth and development patterns during their long-term evolutionary process. Among these, holometabolous insects exhibit a life cycle comprising four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The hormonal and genetic regulatory mechanisms underlying the staged growth and development of insects have long been a key focus and hot topic in entomological research. In recent years, with the continuous advancement of molecular biology theories and technologies, stage-specific master regulatory genes in holometabolous insects have been gradually identified. As a major migratory agricultural pest, the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, has posed a significant threat to China's food security since its invasion of the country at the end of 2018. Being a typical holometabolous insect, fall armyworm larvae need to consume large quantities of food from nature to accumulate energy for subsequent life activities such as reproduction and migration. It is precisely this voracious feeding behavior of the larvae that has caused substantial damage to agricultural production. Therefore, this review summarizes the research progress on the stage-specific master genes in holometabolous insects, with a focus on S. frugiperda, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the development of efficient and environment-friendly pest control strategies based on the regulation of insect growth and development.