The key elements of plant viral disease epidemics are viruses, vectors and plant hosts. The long coevolution between insect vectors, viruses and plant hosts has resulted in complex interactions between them. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate the interactions between insect, plants and viruses is important for developing more accurate and efficient strategies for controlling insect-borne viral diseases. In the evolution of insect immunity to viruses and plant defensive responses, autophagy can degrade virions or cleave virus-infected organelles to inhibit viral infection. To overcome the immunity of hosts and insect vectors, some viruses have developed a counter strategy of manipulating autophagy to promote infection. This review focuses on the relationship between insect vectors, plant hosts and viruses, describes the mechanisms by which insect-plant autophagy regulates viral infection, and discusses the function of the immunity homeostasis of which autophagy is a part during the viral infection of insect vectors. The insect-plant autophagy pathway may also be a potential target for new methods of controlling disease transmission and infection.