Abstract: Development，survival and reproduction of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), reared on cotton，tobacco，tomato and hot pepper plants were monitored at (27.0±1.0)℃ with a 14L∶10D photoperiod in the laboratory. It was showed in the choice trials that the adults preferred ovipositing on the potted tomato plants while the newly hatched larvae liked staying and feeding on young cotton leaves which supported their growth better than the counterparts of the three other plants. The early sixth-instar larvae could utilize cotton boll and the reproductive organs of tobacco and hot pepper more effectively than tomato fruits.The larval survival rate was up to 83.6% on cotton as compared with only 7.3% on tomato. However, the durations of the larvae on cotton and tomato were almost the same and those on the two other plants significantly prolongated. The female moths from the larvae on cotton had the greatest egg production while fecundity of the moths from those on tobacco was very poor. The population trend index of this species on cotton was around 14 times that on tomato, the poorest food plant. Since H. armigera completed their life cycle when reared on the four food plants, all of them should be its host plants although tomato and hot pepper are less suitable.

Key words: Helicoverpa armigera, food plant, host plant, development, reproduction