Genotypic and phenotypic correlations between shoot fly resistance and three of its componental characters have been estimated in two different sets of material. Two of these componental characters, namely trichome intensity and glossiness intensity, showed negative and significant associations with the shoot fly resistance but do not play any direct role in building up the total variability in the shoot fly resistance. Both the correlation and path analysis showed rather dissimilar pictures of the causal system of the factors governing shoot fly resistance. It is also evident from the results of both these analyses that the major portion of the variability present in shoot fly resistance is contributed by the character: number of eggs/plant. The glossy seedling expression in sorghum can be utilized as a simple and reliable selection criterion for shoot fly resistant plants.