The yellow-spined bamboo locust (YSBL), Ceracris kiangsu Tsai, has historically had a significant impact on different bamboo varieties in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Since 2014, there have been many outbreaks of YSBL populations in Laos, and YSBLs subsequently invaded Southwest China in 2020 and 2023. However, there was limited information about the damage to staple crops. Life table parameters and fitness parameters were assessed using wheat, rice, waxy maize, and sweet maize under three different temperatures (25 °C, 30 °C, and 35 °C) in the laboratory. The results indicated that the YSBLs feeding on wheat seedlings displayed a significantly higher survival rate, a shorter developmental time, and a higher adult emergence rate compared to YSBLs feeding on the other host species at 30 °C. The developmental durations of 1st and 3rd instar YSBLs on wheat (1st: 8.21 ± 0.35 d; 3rd: 6.32 ± 0.34 d) and rice (1st: 7.19 ± 0.23 d; 3rd: 9.00 ± 0.66 d) were significantly shorter than those of 1st and 3rd instar YSBLs on waxy maize (1st: 13.62 ± 1.22 d; 3rd: 13.67 ± 6.33 d) and sweet maize (1st: 16.00 ± 1.79 d; 3rd: 18.00 ± 3.49 d) at 30 °C. The body lengths of male and female YSBLs on wheat (male: 29.52 ± 0.40 mm, female: 34.97 ± 0.45 mm) and rice (male: 28.85 ± 0.68 mm, female: 34.66 ± 0.35 mm) were significantly longer than those observed when they were fed on sweet maize (male: 25.64 ± 1.60 mm, female: 21.93 ± 6.89 mm). There were only male adults obtained on waxy maize. The phenotypic characteristics of the YSBLs feeding on rice seedlings were very close to those of the YSBLs feeding on wheat seedlings. A relatively slower decline was observed in the survival rates of YSBL nymphs on wheat and rice compared to those on waxy maize and sweet maize at 25 °C, 30 °C, and 35 °C. In short, this study implied that YSBLs prefer wheat and rice. This study is the first report of direct damage caused by the YSBL to wheat in the laboratory, and its results could be useful in improving our understanding of the host preference of the YSBL and providing strategies for the management of this pest in field crops.