During the past four years, samples of tobacco budworm (TBW) and cotton bollworm (CBW) populations were collected from cotton fields throughout the south/southwestern corner of Georgia and South Carolina. Larvae from those field-collected samples were assayed for susceptibility to a variety of insecticides using a cotton leaf dip bioassay and an insecticide-treated diet bioassay. Throughout the evaluation period, TBW populations have demonstrated various levels of resistance to MVPII^® as compared to the most susceptible field-collected population and two insecticide-susceptible, laboratory-maintained reference strains (HRV and OPS). MVPII^® was less effective against CBW larvae. Decreased susceptibility of several TBW populations and a CBW population to cypermethrin were noted. Furthermore, an evaluation of LC₉₅ values for cypermethrin against TBW larvae indicated an annual and sharp increase during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. In general,foliar leaf dip and treated diet 96h activity spectra for the compounds tested were: Spinosad > Pirate^® ≥ Karate^® >Fipronil ≥ Cypermethrin ≥ MVPII^®.