Background <p>Fall armyworm, <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a polyphagous insect pest and due to its exposure to a variety of crops. It has the ability to invade new host plants. We investigated the development and success of <i>S. frugiperda</i> on various wheat varieties including Fakhar-e-bhakkar-17, Dilkash-20, Subhani-21, Akbar-19 and Faisalabad-08 in comparison to Maize.</p> Results <p>The total larval period was prolonged when they fed on Dilkash-20 (31.24 days) and Subhani-21 (32.11 days) whereas the shortest larval duration was found on Maize (17.19 days). However, the larval period was completed in 28.70 d on Akbar-19, 27.45 days on Fakhar-e-bhakkar-17, and 30.56 days on Faisalabad-08. The duration of pupae remained shorter, when their larvae fed on Maize crop (8.39 d) compared to all wheat varieties. The adult lived longer when their immature stages was fed on Akbar-19 (18.11 d) variety. The female laid eggs more on Fakhar-e-bhakkar-17 (936.7 eggs) followed by Maize (867.7 eggs). Age-stage-specific parameters revealed prolonged survival, higher fecundity and life expectancy of <i>S. frugiperda</i> when they were fed on Maize, Fakhar-e-bhakkar-17, and Akbar-19 compared to other wheat varieties. Furthermore, the population parameter such as intrinsic rate of increase was higher on Maize (<i>r</i> = 0.171 d^− 1), followed by Fakhar-e-bhakkar-17 (<i>r</i> = 0.124 d^− 1), and Akbar-19 (<i>r</i> = 0.121 d^− 1). A similar pattern was found in the context of finite rate of increase (<i>λ</i> = 1.186 d^− 1 for Maize, <i>λ</i> = 1.132 d^− 1 for Fakhar-e-bhakkar-17, and <i>λ</i> = 1.128 d^− 1 for Akbar-19).</p> Conclusion <p>The present study highlights the economic risk associated with <i>S. frugiperda</i> infestation to wheat crop. These findings underscore the significance of host plant selection in influencing the life history traits of this pest, emphasizing the necessity of developing sustainable control strategies against this pest.</p>