The tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens F., is one of the most important insect pests of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., and other crops. In recent years tobacco budworm has been successfully controlled with Bacillus thuringiensis-expressing cottons but might acquire resistance to this bacterium insecticide. To test its susceptibility to B. thuringiensis, a large number of tobacco budworms should be evaluated. However, obtaining large numbers of this pest has proven difficult in recent years. Varieties of garbanzo, Cicer arietinum L., one of the most preferred hosts were tested against tobacco budworm in the field. Sierra, C-104, and Annigeri varieties that can harbor ≥10 late-instar tobacco budworm larvae per meter of row and can withstand the biotic and abiotic conditions of northwestern Mississippi, were identified as good hosts for tobacco budworm. This information is of value for obtaining sufficient samples of tobacco budworms for multiple purposes and can serve as a baseline for evaluating varieties of garbanzo for commercial purposes.