Laboratory studies were conducted to determine effects of three soybean and one lima bean cultivars on the population growth potential of the Mexican bean beetle (MBB),Epilachna varivestisMulsant. The cultivars were ‘Bonus’, ‘Williams’, and ‘Cutler 71’ soybean and ‘Henderson Bush’ lima bean. Greenhouse-grown plants were subjected to both immatures and adults. Data on development time, survival, and fecundity were used to construct MBB life tables for each cultivar. The lowest rate of population growth occurred on ‘Cutler 71’, where MBB immature development time, immature mortality, and preoviposition period were highest, and egg production was lowest. The highest rate occurred on lima bean. Adult longevity was not significantly affected by soybean cultivar, but was significantly longer on lima bean. Intrinsic rates of increase for MBB on ‘Williams’, ‘Bonus’, and ‘Cutler 71’ were 0.053, 0.043, and 0.012, respectively, compared to 0.100 on ‘Henderson Bush’.