Abstract: Effects of foods on growth, development and reproduction of the cotton bollworm,Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), were investigated by simulating larval feeding habits, using cotton, peanut, corn and artificial diet as larval foods, and either providing supplementary food or not for female moths. Differences among larval durations were significant, while no significant difference in pupal duration were detected. The larvae reared on peanut produced significantly smaller pupae than those on the other 3 foods. Abdomen dry weight and fat content of the female moths from larvae on the 4 foods had the same order as female pupal weight did, with abdomens of the female moths from the caterpillars on artificial diet being significantly heavier than those from cotton and peanut groups. When fed with 10% honey solution, longevity, mating rate, and fecundity were not significantly different among the female moths from the 4 larval foods. However, when fed with water only, all the female moths from larvae fed on peanut failed to mate, lived significantly shorter and deposited significantly fewer eggs than the other 3 groups of females that showed no significant difference in these parameters. With respect to adult food treatments, supplementary nutrition of 10% honey solution contributed a little to performance of the females from the larvae fed on artificial diet, whereas it significantly increased longevity and fecundity of those females from the other 3 larval foods .These results suggest that peanut must be less suitable for development and reproduction of the cotton bollworm as compared with cotton and corn. In the field, sugar content in larval food plants seems to be a significant factor influencing development and reproduction of this insect species, and N variation in host plants may be less important for them.

Key words: Helicoverpa armigera, food, nutritional ecology, growth and development, reproduction