Insects - Tomato Hornworm

Granny's Garden School, Inc.

Keeping kids in touch
with nature
Tomato and tobacco hornworms feed on tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and related plants. These green worms are 3 to 4 inches long and can defoliate young plants. Mature tomato hornworms can be distinguished by eight L-shaped, white markings along each side of the body and a bluish- black horn near the rear end of the insect. Tobacco hornworms are decorated with diagonal white bars and have a red horn. 
Hornworm eggs are laid singly.
 

The white cocoons of a parasite wasp are attached to the caterpillar on the right.


Tomato/tobacco hornworm pupa

It's not a humming bird.  It's a humming bird or hawkmoth.  The adult stage for a tomato/tobacco hornworms.  Pupae of both species are mahogany brown and are found in the soil. In both species, adults are large, gray moths with mottled front wings. Hind wings are lighter. Two thin, zigzag lines run across the midsection of each hind wing of tomato hornworm moths. There is a dark area between these somewhat obscure lines on the wings of tobacco hornworm moths. On both species, five or six yellowish-orange spots can be found along each side of the body. Moths of both species have a wingspread of 4 to 5 inches and fly mainly around dusk. Females lay eggs individually on plants. Eggs are spherical and greenish-white. This insect over winters as a pupa