The biology of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie, 1850) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was evaluated in two artificial diets, with the objective of offering an appropriate diet to rearing of the insect in laboratory. Caterpillars were collected in corn crop in Pelotas-RS and originating the population used in the trial. The biological parameters evaluated were: duration and viability of the larvae, pre-pupae, pupae and total cycle (egg to adult emergence), duration and viability of the stage embryonic, pre-oviposition, oviposition and pos-oviposition periods, longevity to males and females and daily and total fecundity and, adults deformed. The artificial modified Greene diet provided a total cycle duration of about 39 days and viability higher to 88%, originating just 1.33% of deformed adults. The use of the modified Greene artificial diet as food substrate is viable for rearing of H. zea in laboratory.