Can you identify this insect?

[dle0414]

Saw this on my deck tomato plants and have no idea what it is. Anyone recognize it?

Thanks for any help!

Diane

 

[Silentrunning]

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.

 

[dle0414]

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.

Thank you!

 

[dle0414]

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.

Thank you!

 

[dle0414]

Thank you!

 

[Chuck]

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]

Thanks Chuck. For years I was those were babies. 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!