The foliage consumption potential by 6 lepidopteran larvae and the pod consumption potential by larvae of Heliothis zea (Boddie) were determined in laboratory feeding tests to be: Trichoplusia ni (Hübner)—119 cm2 of leaf/larva, Pseudoplusia includens (Walker)—114 cm2 Spodoptera exigua (Hübner)—52 cm, H. virescens (F.)—155 cm2 H. zea —336 cm2, and Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner—84 cm2. For each species, ca. 90% of the feeding occurred during the final 2 larval stages. Larvae of T. ni held at 25°C consumed 23% more leaf area than those held at 20°C and 32% more area than those held at 30°C. Development of H. zea from the 4th through the 6th instar inclusive resulted in damage amounting to 8.2 pods and 7.1 seeds/larva.