The influence of tethered flight and carbohydrate deprivation on soybean looper,Pseudoplusia includens(Walker), whole-body lipids, oviposition rate, and survivorship was examined using a factorial experimental design. Carbohydrate deprivation had a greater effect than flight on all three variables, although flight decreased fecundity. Moths that were subjected to only one stress (2 h of daily flight or provided water as their only food source) were significantly different from the no-stress group (nonflown and fed) and those that were starved and flown. The general trend apparent for all parameters was nonflown-fed ≥ flown-fed ∼ nonflown-starved ≥ flown-starved, except for stored lipids that showed no statistical difference between flown-starved and nonflown-starved moths. Average longevity ranged from 9 d for nonflown-fed moths to 6 d for flown-starved moths. These data demonstrated that the availability of a nectar source may be an important factor in the success of long-distance soybean looper dispersal and subsequent reproduction.