tomato plant pest

[bubba man]

all season long my tomato`s have been pretty good now at the end of season i`ve got this 2 in. green juicy lookin bug on there what is it ??

 

[MoonShadows]

Does it look something like this? Tomato horn worm....

 

[bubba man]

remove the black markings and that was it and a whole bunch of em

 

[Chuck]

If it is light green and has a "horn" on one end it is either a tomato hornworm or tobacco hornworm. They both do the same damage.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manduca_quinquemaculata

 

[MoonShadows]

At some stages they don't always have such pronounced black markings.

Here are some solutions from Planet Natural at https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/garden-pests/tomato-hornworm-control/

Because they are so large hornworms are most often controlled in home gardens by handpicking. Once removed from the plant, they can be destroyed by dropping them into a bucket of soapy water.

• Beneficial insects including lacewings, braconoid and trichogramma wasps and ladybugs attack the eggs. For best results, make releases when pest levels are low to medium.

• If populations are high, use a least-toxic, short-lived natural pesticide to establish control, then release predatory insects to maintain control.

• Both Safer Garden Dust (Bacillus thuringiensis, var. kurstaki) and Monterey Garden Insect Spray (Spinosad) are very effective, especially on the young caterpillars (larvae).

• If pest levels become intolerable, spot treat with a fast-acting organic insecticide. For best results, apply to the undersides of leaves and deep into the plant canopy where insects hide.

• Roto-tilling after harvest destroys overwintering pupae in the soil. This is especially effective since pupae are large and not buried very deeply in the soil. Results have shown that greater than 90% mortality is caused by normal garden tilling.