The transfer of bifenthrin/carrier combinations from glass, wax, and cotton leaves to tobacco budworm larvae (TBW) was determined. The persistence of bifenthrin/oil combinations on the surface of the cotton leaf was also determined. Bifenthrin (Capture) was mixed in carriers (Flexon 885, orchex 796, Telura 607, and Telura 619) varying in viscosity and delivered (1 m drops) to glass slides and glass slides coated with wax. The proleg of a sixth instar TBW was dipped into the drop for 2 seconds. The amount of bifenthrin transferred to the larva was determined by gas chromatography (GC). In a spray chamber, bifenthrin/carrier combinations (Capture + soybean oil, Orchex 796, Dow Corning 200 Fluid, and water) were applied in 250 um drops by controlled droplet atomizer to excised cotton leaves. TBW larvae were allowed to crawl over treated leaves for 2 minutes at intervals of 1, 2, 4, and 6 hours after application. Residues collected from larvae and leaves over the 6 hour period were Quantified by GC. Bifenthrin/carrier combinations (Capture + soybean oil, Flexon 885, Orchex 796, Telura 607, and Telura 619) were applied on a spray table to potted cotton plants using an air-assist atomizer. Residues from leaves were collected over a 7-d period and analyzed by GC. Results indicated that the amount of bifenthrin/carrier transferred from the glass slide to sixth instar TBW was related to viscosity; however, bifenthrin/carrier transfer from wax to larvae was not related to viscosity. In the spray table tests, the amount of bifenthrin bound to the leaf surface over time was related to the viscosity of the carrier. oils transferred significantly greater (up to 50%) amounts of bifenthrin from cotton leaves to TBW than water. The transfer of bifenthrin using hydrocarbon based oils (soybean oil and Orchex 796) from cotton leaves to TBW was related to carrier viscosity; however, when the silicone fluid was included in the comparison there was no relationship between transfer and viscosity. The silicone fluid, Dow Corning 200 Fluid, was twice as viscous as soybean oil yet bifenthrin transfer to TBW was greatest when mixed in soybean oil. A carrier's molecular structure as well as viscosity are influential in transferring insecticides from plant surfaces to insects.