The effect of age, starvation, host plant, and photoperiod on flight activity of female spined stilt bugs,Jalysus spinosus(Say), an important predator of tobacco pests, was studied using tethered and free flight techniques. Stilt bugs reared at a photoperiod ⋝ 14 h and confined with prey and tobacco (standard females) showed no consistent agerelated variation in flight activity other than a postmolt teneral period of 3–5 days. Rearing and holding females at a photoperiod<13 h resulted in a greater proportion flying and longer flights. Also, females held with no prey or no host plant showed significantly more flight activity than standard females. The results are discussed in the context of the observed seasonal migrations of spined stilt bugs and the control of flight activity during mass release experiments.