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Abstract Phosphine (PH3) and ethyl formate (EF), the two popular fumigant disinfectants of stored product insect pests, are primarily evaluated for their knock down effects without considering their post-fumigation sub-lethal activities. The sub-lethal activities (adult survivorship, fecundity, sterility and female sex pheromone production) of the fumigants were evaluated on a field-to-storage insect pest adzuki bean beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis (L.). The adults’ survivorship and female fecundity, both were dose-dependently affected by sub-lethal PH3 and EF fumigation exposures. Hatchability of the eggs laid by fumigated female adults were also significantly affected. Gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry analysis of solid-phase micro-extraction from virgin fumigated C. cinensis females revealed that the PH3 LC25 (the lethal concentration required to kill the 25% of the population) fumigated female C. chinensis released significantly less amount of the pheromone components. In contrast, EF LC25 exposure did not affect the pheromone release. This study unveils the facts that the EF and PH3 fumigation have detrimental bioactivities against C. chinensis. Notably, this suggests to consider the sub-lethal EF and PH3 fumigation rather than the dose required to instantly kill all the C. chinensis individuals for disinfestation of stored adzuki bean.