Thought you could eat my tomatoes and get away with it, eh?

[applestar]

Found these Pricipe Borghese tomatoes with big bites taken out of them:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4937.jpg[/img]
Classic sign of Tomato Horn Worm. So I looked... and found this already well-grown caterpillar!
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4939.jpg[/img]
But if you look closely, braconid wasp larvae are just getting ready to make cocoons on its back. Others are starting to emerge through its skin:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4946.jpg[/img] [img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4947.jpg[/img] [img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4949.jpg[/img] [img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4952.jpg[/img] [img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4953.jpg[/img] [img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4954.jpg[/img]

I love chemical-free, organic gardening. I don't have to do any work except to take decent photos for posterity.

[smokensqueal]

That's cool. How much of your mater plant did/will he eat before the wasp finish him off?

[applestar]

Truth to tell, this is the first time I noticed any damage.
I don't get many of these or if I do, I suspect they get eaten by birds or by larger wasps like hornets, paper wasps, potter wasps, yellow jackets, etc. Last year there was only one, and this year, this is the first. In my experience, they prefer green tomatoes to ripe ones, and damage by one caterpillar is, to me, negligible, especially if the tomatoes are producing (you may have noticed my other posts).

Last year, I moved the caterpillar from the single Brandywine plant to one of the 3 grape tomatoes. It basically stayed there, ate about 10 green grape tomatoes and some foliage, then disappeared. This one, braconid larvae/pupae and all, may still be taken by some larger predator as well.

But if, as I suspect, all the gray spots on the caterpillar are signs of emerging wasp larvae, it isn't going to be hungry for much longer.

Hopefully someone else can give you a more specific answer.

BTW -- That caterpillar IS in the first photo. Can you spot it?

[nes]

The eyes on his sides are unbelievable!

[a0c8c]

That's an impressive caterpillar, too bad it's gonna get eaten by wasp larvae. Oh well, that's life, atleast your tomatoes will be safe.

[kimbledawn]

Beautiful pics. Yucky larvae. I've had three this year! One ate my pepper plant down to a nub and one I threw out and one I brought back to my afterschool program for the children to raise. One day it disappeared and we though it died but we found it growing in its cocoon buried anout 2 in under one of the tomato plants we were feeding it. I didn't know the dig in the ground to change

[SP8]

BTW -- That caterpillar IS in the first photo. Can you spot it?

[img]https://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a360/SamhainP8/APSTR.jpg[/img]

What do I win?

[Diane]

I found one this year. The first thing I noticed was missing leaves at the top of my plant.
Last year I found a very large one with red horns and those white things on it's back. I killed it.
It is amazing the large bites they take out of tomatoes.

[Duh_Vinci]

Cool pics, and thanks for the explanation, I was wondering what were those white "things" on it's back.

I've found a few on my plants throughout the season too, first sign for me was some chunks of "poo" on the leafs

Regards,
D

[petalfuzz]

I found o-n-e hornworm this year. The only reason I saw it at all was because it was covered in the white "things". It was very lethargic, probably close to death anyway and I finished it off. I felt sorry for it.

[somegeek]

But if you look closely, braconid wasp larvae are just getting ready to make cocoons on its back. Others are starting to emerge through its skin:

While that's pretty interesting I can't help but gross out a touch at the thought of the larve coming through it's skin.

Great macro shots.

[gixxerific]

BTW -- That caterpillar IS in the first photo. Can you spot it?

What do I win?

you beat me to it, I know what they look like, see my avatar.
That sucker ate every leaf off my only surviving Jalapeno plant and the fruit in one day. In my avatar it is on the last Jalapeno.

Keep an eye out for more Apple. They are some bad mama jamas.

[Diane]

I didn't know they eat jalapenos.
I looked today and found a big one on a tomato plant. He took bites out of at least three tomatoes.

[applestar]

While that's pretty interesting I can't help but gross out a touch at the thought of the larve coming through it's skin.

Oh yeah, gives me the willies too if I think about it too much.
(No wonder it's the fall-back plot in so many horror movies.)
... I think it's those "eyes" on the side of the caterpillar "staring" at you that makes it extra creepy.

Don't kill the ones with the cocoons and larvae on their backs. Those babies are future members of your Garden Patrol and your insurance for future harvest. These Braconids specialize in caterpillars -- moth and butterfly alike. That's why I have to collect and bring inside as many Monarch Butterfly eggs and caterpillars as I can to raise this time of the year. Yeah, it's kind of odd that I SAVE them diligently while I can passively and clinically observe these wiggly wasp larvae slowing killing THIS caterpillar. I think it might be a sort of a "pay back" for all the Tachnid fly infested Monarch caterpillars that I've had to watch die.

This year, I was FINALLY able to register our garden as a Monarch Waystation.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4956.jpg[/img]
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7460
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9938

[applestar]

OK. Today, I'm feeling a bit sorry for the tomato hornworm.... Whatever I was expecting, I wasn't expecting THIS. I've never seen so many pupae on a single caterpillar ! But then I couldn't wait to take pictures and show you guys
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4978.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4982.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4983.jpg[/img]

[stella1751]

Applestar, I love that you are taking the time to share this with us! I don't know whether we have tomato hornworms up here; I did see one when I was gardening in the Denver area. However, if I ever do see one, I know to look for these larvae first. I don't think you should feel sorry for him, either. He knew the risks when he entered your garden. He went into this criminal act with his eyes wide open

[applestar]

@Stella

--

Last year I found a very large one with red horns and those white things on it's back.

I've been trying the remember if tomato hornworms have red horns -- I really don't think they do. The "horn" derives from the single projection on their tail end. I wonder if the one you saw was a Black Swallowtail caterpillar? They stick out bright orange-red horns from their heads when disturbed, which release a stinky odor. DD10 got "stinked" by one and was very incensed!

Oh! and then last year, one of our cats was batting at the butterfly nursery with a 5th instar Black Swallowtail caterpillar in it. I watched to see what would happen.... Sure enough! The cat' got the cat. Poor kitty looked SOOO surprised and jumped away sneezing. ... I didn't even mind that *I* had to smell it too!

--
Folks, if you jumped to the 2nd page of this thread, go back to the bottom of the 1st page to see new photos of the caterpillar COVERED and I mean COVERED with the wasp pupae.

[a0c8c]

Good lord, that caterpillar is one unlucky guy. Once they hatch, he'll be gone in seconds.

[top_dollar_bread]

I've been trying the remember if tomato hornworms have red horns -- I really don't think they do.

AS
really great photos!!! ive been following my hornworms around for a while know but never got to see any of them get attacked by parasitic wasp. I'm jealous, because I love taking exotic or action photos of my garden insects.

ive been reading up on plants that attract beneficials. And So far I now grow alyssum and cosmos plus I let some lettuce, cilantro, fennel, and basil to flower to help attack the godd guys.
What (if any) plant in your garden, do you think is helping attract the parasitic wasp??
Also its the tomato hornworm that usually has a green horn, with black sides and the tobacco hornworm that has the red horn. & the sides of the horn worms help you identify witch is witch too. tomato horn worms have V's along ther sides, tobacco horn worms have a slanted slash on ther sides. I believe you have a tobacco horn worm.

[url]https://www.entomology.cornell.edu/public/IthacaCampus/ExtOutreach/DiagnosticLab/Factsheets/TomatoHornworm.html[/url]
[url]https://floridagardener.com/critters/Insect_Pests/HornWorm.htm[/url]

[applestar]

Ah! You're right! This one had lost the tip of it's tail horn somehow, but the diagonal lines vs. V's on the side are definite ID characteristics. I just assumed without verifying, since it's on the tomato plant and I'm not growing any Nicotiana this year, that it was a tomato hornworm.

Thanks for the links. I also found this one that shows and compares the two:
https://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4dmg/Pests/tomato.htm

It's hard to say what exactly in my garden is the primary attractant for the beneficials. I let most weeds grow to flower, then dead head or dig them up for the "drowned weed bucket." I have portions of lawn that are intentionally being replaced by white clover in the sunny areas and ground ivy in the shady areas. I let sections of grass flower -- TREMENDOUS beneficial attractant. I have a lot of flowering shrubs and plants to attract butterflies and hummingbirds, that also attracts a lot of other insects. I have a lot of fragrant flowers. There are ALWAYS some flowers in bloom throughout the season. In fact, I think in terms of "Hmm, I need more flowers that bloom this time of year." or "Gotta fill that gap between Irises and Liatris.... " I've even gone so far as to say "Oh these yellow mustard weed flowers are setting off the blue Amsonia flowers very nicely, so I can't cut them."

Right now, the spearmint patch is absolutely swarming with all kinds of bees and wasps, as are peppermint, cornmint, spotted mint, and lemon balm... and bees that come out of Rose of Sharons are completely dusted in pollen, Jewel Weed/Touch-Me-Not are constantly in motion without any breeze because all the flowers are being visited, Crimson Clover, White Clover, Plantain, and other "weeds", Butterfly Weed, Butterfly Bush, Button Bush, Summersweet, Red Cardinal Flower, Purple Lobelia, Salvia, Echinacea, Primrose, Aster, Calendula, Marigold, Bee Balm, Black-eyed Susan, Morning Glory, many grass species including my rice, and of course all the other vegetables... to name a few.

[gixxerific]

Thanks Top_Dollar I was wrong I had a tobacco hornworm. I thought it was a tomato hornworm. I'm still calling it "Ol Horny" though.

[img]https://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj185/gixxerific/DSC02581.jpg[/img]

Is it possible that something is wrong with us taking multiple shots of bugs in our gardens? I took probably 30+ shots one day while working in the garden of bees, only to come up with this half good shot. The best ones were too blurry or something.

[img]https://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj185/gixxerific/DSC02670-1.jpg[/img]

[Duh_Vinci]

...Is it possible that something is wrong with us taking multiple shots of bugs in our gardens? I took probably 30+ shots one day while working in the garden of bees, only to come up with this half good shot. The best ones were too blurry or something.

Gix - that hornworm is awesome photo! As for the blurriness on some shots, bees are moving objects, so it is rather difficult to nail these shots, specially with Point/Shoot camera.

I haven't done much macro work this year, but few bugs to share, just a few we can find in our gardens:

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/210473314_K6DZu-XL.jpg[/img]

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/210444351_iRj2S-XL.jpg[/img]

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/210444849_vtepe-XL.jpg[/img]

Regards,
D

[gixxerific]

DV those aer some very awesome shots. Mine sucks to them, I must be doing something wrong.

Very cool my friend.

[top_dollar_bread]

Duh_Vinci
AMAZING shots!!!, wow
gixxerific
I got one simialr to yours
here's a few of my own, ther nothing compared to the shots you guys have
[img]https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3462/3746229161_0e4870e923_o.jpg[/img]
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2476/3747018088_3fb4692b79_o.jpg[/img]

also check out the wildlife garden forum, if your interested
I have more shots of my garden insects and would love to see more photos of critters...

oh and thanx AS for sharing your secrets, were do you get clover seeds??or any other insectory plant, green crop, etc ive been wanting to grow alfalfa, buckwheat, and borage for some time now..I cant ever find seeds thought

[Diane]

[/quote]Applestar
I've been trying the remember if tomato hornworms have red horns -- I really don't think they do. The "horn" derives from the single projection on their tail end.
.[/quote]

I guess it was a tobacco worm. With one red horn. Who knew?

[Gary350]

That is a cool looking worm with some excellent camouflage. And it is about to be several 100 babies. Dust your plants with Sevin dust.

I have noticed a lot of folks on this forum has a lot of trouble with bugs. I have no trouble at all. I have 25 bird houses and that surely helps but I bet it has a lot to do with your geographical location and your climate and the type of bugs you have in your area.

[gixxerific]

Sevin is some bad stuff, do a search on here there is plenty on info on it. I would post some up but I'm about to go check out a new Agri store I found that is very close.

Alright fine I couldn't help it here are a couple links from this site.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8520
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1595

Scary stuff I have used it before but never again.