The preference-performance hypothesis predicts that females should preferentially choose hosts that their offspring perform better on. We tested this hypothesis for the sunflower moth, Homoeosoma electellum (Hulst) on 17 sunflower germplasm lines. Lines were selected to give a range covering those used in breeding for yield and those used for insect or disease resistance. In binary choice tests, using a standard control line, females showed a range of preference responses to the lines. Performance on the 17 lines, tested by infesting each of the heads with 20 neonate larvae and recording the number of pupae obtained and their individual weights, also varied among lines. Female preference and larval performance (both in term of percentage of larvae reaching the pupal stage and pupal weight) were positively correlated; indicating that females tended to chose plants on which larvae performed better. The means of the preference and performance measures for each of the 17 lines were also positively correlated, indicating that females preferred lines on which larvae performed better.