The goals of this project are to understand the insect behavior and plant characteristics that affect pepper infestation by the European Corn Borer (ECB) to explain why there are differences in the field infestation rates of sweet versus hot peppers. European corn borer is a key pest of sweet bell peppers but the status of ECB in non-bell peppers is uncertain. It is known that presence of capsaicin is one factor that is associated with lower infestation in hot peppers, but additional factors must be present to account for intermediate levels of infestation in sweet non-bell peppers. In cage studies in the laboratory and field, ECB moths were enclosed with paired combinations of peppers, including two sweet and three hot types. It was found that ECB moths laid an equal number of eggs on sweet and hot peppers. Laboratory rearing studies showed that larval development is longer and survival less successful in the fruit of hot peppers than in sweet peppers. Determining behavior of the ECB will lead to better guidelines for controlling ECB on non-bell and bell peppers.