Tomato Hornworms

Shotgun Wedding

Shotgun Wedding

Garlic Jedi
Senior Member
Member
What we have here are the tomato hornworms, a vicious creature capable of consuming a good amount of tomato plane within a few days and filled with a vile green tomato-y goo that when stepped on just right (or wrong depending on case) is capable of squirting for over 10 feet.

Picked off 8 of these buggers in various sizes. Here are two, looking for their 5 minutes of fame.

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A couple of summers ago my daughter came in the house screaming there was a "baby monster" in the yard. I went out to see it. Found one of these guys crawling around. I didnt know what it was. Took some pics and googled.
 
OK so is this another form of the same bug? My dog was playing with it in the yard.
 

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The hornworm is the same colour as the plant. Hard to find. I would think.
At least the potato bug is brown. Can’t imagine if potato bugs were green. Jumpins, I never find them.

Noel
 
Lily'sDad said:
Nope! The spots are different.
Click to expand...

What you talking 'bout Willis!

I think they are the same, a caterpillar from the sphinx moth, aka tomato hornworm. This one looks a bit shriveled up, dead for little while. If you look closely, you can see the stripes, or at least where they were. the colors and vibrantness has all faded with it's death.
The spots have faded a bit, but still are in right location, just hollowed out.

Now also, if you google it, there is a bit of variation in what they can look like, all depending on their age and what/how much they are eating.

I guess the forensic evidence will tell the story. Cvans, do you or neighbors have tomatoes or potatoes in your yard? And damage on the plants?
 
Shotgun Wedding said:
Cvans, do you or neighbors have tomatoes or potatoes in your yard? And damage on the plants?
Click to expand...
Yep we have both and I don't see any damage. The worm was still alive but just barely. Daisy was playing with it in the yard before I retrieved it.
Should have put a tape measure down by it in the photos but didn't think about it. Guessing between 1 1/2 to 2 inches long.
 
we have them out here, they are sphinx moths, they are just out trying to make a living too. I don't mess with them usually by late summer tomatoes have the green fruits and losing leaves is no big deal, we cut leaves off anyway to speed up to turn the tomatoes red anyway.
we used to catch these and hatch them, they make the cocoon underground, we used set up a fishtank with loose soil and usually in October they hatched or kept them cool for a spring hatch,
usually the wasps or cat birds they kill them
 
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