We analyzed published field data concerning western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) and northern corn rootworm (Diabrotica barberi Smith and Lawrence) survival from egg to adult to create general relationships between density and survival. A series of equations were generated that best fit the data, and these equations may be used to help understand density-dependent survival in future studies. In general, the datasets showed a decline in the proportion surviving to adulthood as egg density increased. The survival of northern corn rootworm was lower than that of western corn rootworm. Data for both natural and mechanical infestations of soil with eggs show decreasing proportion surviving as density increases. Several nonlinear equations fit the data for both species very well. Density-dependent survival can account for differences in observations of insecticide survival at different initial western corn rootworm densities.