Field data of counts of eggs and larvae of Heliothis virescens (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in 12 uncultivated plants in Tolima, Colombia, were used to conduct analyses of variance of the relative importance of the 12 for the insect. Analyses were based on the number of eggs and larvae found per terminal and per 5 g of terminal material of each host.
Regardless of the analysis, more eggs and larvae of H. virescens were found on Desmodium tortuosum (Sw) DC (Papilionaceae) than on the other 11 hosts. In general, more eggs were found on pubescent plants, especially those with glandular trichomes.
A relatively high ratio of larvae:eggs for Ipomea triloba L. (Convolvulaceae) was interpreted to mean that larvae of H. virescens migrated to this plant from eggs laid on other hosts.
The removal rate of eggs from seven hosts due to unknown reasons was estimated to differ between the seven.