The ladybeetle Coleomegilla maculata is the most frequent predator of corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea, eggs in sweet corn. Weeds with abundant glandular pubescence are preferred over corn for oviposition by C. maculata when such weeds are available, and eggs placed on these weeds suffer less predation than those placed on corn. Our objective was to identify and evaluate the performance of a desirable cultivated plant species that provides an ovipositional refuge from predation for C. maculata eggs, as do glandular pubescent weeds. Nine candidate plant species were screened for C. maculata oviposition preference in a field experiment. Tomato and ornamental tobacco had significantly more C. maculata egg clutches deposited on them than the other screened plants. Coleomegilla maculata egg clutches had higher survival over 24 h when placed on tomato as opposed to corn. Sweet corn plantings with a tomato companion crop had elevated densities of C. maculata larvae up to 5 M away from the companion planting in comparison to monoculture plantings of sweet corn. The density of C. maculata adults was significantly higher in sweet corn plantings with tomato than sweet corn monoculture plantings.