The southern corn rootworm (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber) is the primary soil insect pest to peanuts (A rachis hypogaea L.) in Virginia and North Carolina. The newer cultivars, which are planted on the majority of the acreage, have not been extensively screened for rootworm resistance. The objective of this study was to evaluate 5 new Virginia-type cultivars (NC-V 11, VA-C 92R, VA 93B, NC 10C, and AgraTech VC1) and 18 breeding lines (N90013E, VA 861101, VA 9211920, VA 9211289, VA 891438, VA 901072, VA 9010343, VA 8911115, VA 9109213, VA 9109235, VA 9109237, VA 9111309, N93007L, N92066L, N92074L, PI 121067, GP-NC 343, N92064L and N93003L) for resistance to southern corn rootworm in the laboratory and in the field. NC 7 and NC 9 were used as susceptible checks. NC 6 was used as a known resistant check. Rootworm mortality and feeding were measured from bioassays in the lab. Pod damage data were obtained from field plots. NC 6 caused some significant differences with more rootworm mortality at both the pupal and adult stages than NC 7, NC 9, NC 10C, NC-V11, N90013E, PI 121067, AgraTech VC-1, VA 93B, VA 861101, and VA 9211290 when feeding on peanut seedlings. In addition, NC 6 also caused significantly higher mortality at pupa and adult stages than NC 7, AgraTech VC-1, VA 861101, and VA 93B when larvae fed on the peg and immature pod tissue from field plantings. NC 6 also had less total pod damage than NC 7 in natural infestations of southern corn rootworm. Results from this study indicate that NC 61s are still the only cultivar that demonstrates resistance to rootworm. / Master of Science