As an important host plant of Helicoverpa armigera (H?bner), the pungent constituent of pepper has an important effect on growth and development of H. armigera. In this paper, effects of four pepper varieties (No.2 Yuyouxianla, Yuyil?guan, Yuyimoxiudajiao, and No.12 Yutianjiao) with the different contents of pungent constituent on the feeding behavior, food utilization, and population growth of H. armigera under lab conditions were studied comparatively. The results showed that: (1) The feeding preference, the approximate digestibility and the efficiency conversion of ingestion of 6th instar larvae showed significant differences in four pepper varieties. The larvae selectivity to fruit of four pepper varieties were similar in newly-hatched, 3rd instar and 5th larvae of H. armigera, that was these larvae preferred to No.12 Yutianjiao variety with higher percentage of appearance and feeding amount, compared with other three varieties. With the content of pungent constituent declining in four varieties, the feeding time and recess time of 5th instar larvae were both increased, but corresponding activity time was reduced; There were no significant differences in the relative growth rate, relative consumption rate and the efficiency conversion of digestion of the 6th instar larvae reared on the four pepper varieties separately, but the approximate digestibility and the efficiency conversion of ingestion of 6th instar larvae fed in No.12 Yutianjiao was significant difference with that fed in No.2 Yuyouxianla and Yuyil?guan. (2) In laboratory condition ((27?1) ℃, relative humidity of 70%-80%, and photoperiod of 16 L∶8 D), H. armigera could normally complete a generation in all four pepper varieties, with the contents of pungent constituent increasing, the development duration of 1st instar larvae and life cycle of H.armigera were gradually prolonged, and showed significant difference in No.12 Yutianjiao and No. 2 Yuyouxianla. The generation duration of H. armigera in No.2 Yuyouxianla was most longest (27.86 d), followed by Yuyil?guan (27.23 d), Yuyimoxioudajiao (26.83 d) and No.12 Yutianjiao (25.85 d); Among the four pepper varieties, the generational survival rates of H. armigera reared on No.12 Yutianjiao was improved obviously, arrived 35.00%, and the generational survival rates of H. armigera were 21.67%, 23.33% and 23.33% on No.2 Yuyouxianla, Yuyil?guan, Yuyimoxioudajiao respectively; After feeding four pepper varieties separately, there were no significant differences in the pupae weight, but female pupae in No.12 Yutianjiao was heaviest (249.3 mg), followed by Yuyimoxioudajiao(244.7 mg), Yuyil?guan (243.4 mg) and No. 2 Yuyouxianla (209.4 mg), which consistent with results of male pupae weight, the female pupae weight in all four pepper varieties were heavier than corresponding male pupae weight. (3) The net reproductive rate and the innate capacity of increase of H.armigera in No.2 Yuyouxianla were lowest, hightest in No.12 yutianjiao. All together, these results showed that with the increase of the content of pungent constituent in four pepper varieties, the fitness of host plants were reduced in turn, so the fitness order of H. armigera fed with the four pepper varieties were No.12 Yutianjiao, Yuyimoxioudajiao, Yuyil?guan,and No.2 Yuyouxianla.