Can you identify this insect?

Joined
Jun 1, 2018
Messages
10
Reaction score
1
Country
United States
Saw this on my deck tomato plants and have no idea what it is. Anyone recognize it?

Thanks for any help!

Diane

1565567124020.png
 

Silentrunning

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2017
Messages
1,300
Reaction score
1,739
Location
Warrenton North Carolina
Hardiness Zone
7b
Country
United States
That is a tomato horn worm and its eggs or larvae. Those things can strip a tomato of its leaves in a single night. They are from a moth so just squash them when you find them.
 

Chuck

Moderator
Joined
Feb 2, 2014
Messages
11,670
Reaction score
5,753
Location
La Porte Texas
Hardiness Zone
8b
Country
United States
Saw this on my deck tomato plants and have no idea what it is. Anyone recognize it?

Thanks for any help!

Diane

View attachment 57329
Well, it's a tomato hornworm but those white things are not its eggs. Those white things are from the Braconid wasp. The female wasp laid eggs inside the caterpillar and the larvae of those eggs chewed their way out of the caterpillar, spun those little cocoons and are fixing to pupate upon which time the caterpillar will meet its just demise. Leave the caterpillar alone at this stage. He will not live long enough at this stage to do too much more damage and the benefit of more wasps outweighs what little damage a dying caterpillar can do.
 

Silentrunning

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2017
Messages
1,300
Reaction score
1,739
Location
Warrenton North Carolina
Hardiness Zone
7b
Country
United States
Thanks Chuck. For years I was those were babies. :banghead: I think I would still move it away from my tomatoes though. Let it live out the rest of its miserable life away from my food!
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
28,184
Messages
268,211
Members
14,952
Latest member
CuriousPenguin

Latest Threads

Top