none The role of key mortality factors in the population dynamics of chickpea pod borer, H. armigera (Huebner) (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera) was studied during 1989-1990 and 1990-1991 by constructing the life tables of two different generations. The action of mortality factors operating in each of the two generations was different. The key mortality factors during the first and the second generations were due to the failure of newly hatched larvae to survive, parasitization of the younger larvae by Campoletis chloridae Uchida (Ichneumonidae: Hymenoptera), the older larvae by Carcelia illota Curran (Tachinidae: Diptera) and the disease caused by nuclear polyhedrosis virus. The pupal mortality was due to the unidentified disease and the unknown causes. The mortality was more in the younger larvae followed by the pupae and the older larvae in both the generations. The trend index in the first generation was found positive i.e. 1.89 and 2.24 but, the negative trend index i.e. 0.78 and 0.97 was observed in the second generation during 1989-90 and 1990-91, respectively. Nutrition; Diet; Parasites diseases and disorders; Parasites; Insect parasites; Hosts; Insect hosts; Ecology; Population dynamics; Habitat; Man made habitat; Land and freshwater zones; Oriental region; India Carcelia illota (Tachinidae ); Campoletis chloridae (Ichneumonidae ); Lepidopteran hosts; Helicoverpa armigera; Host mortality factors; Cultivated land habitat; Uttar Pradesh; Varanasi; Lepidopteran host mortality factors, chickpea crop Helicoverpa armigera (Noctuidae); Food plants; Cicer arietinum (chickpea); Dipteran parasites; Carcelia illota; Hymenopteran parasites; Campoletis chloridae; Diseases and disorders; Life tables; Mortality; Key factors; Cultivated land habitat; Uttar Pradesh; Varanasi; Key mortality factors, chickpea crop