Is this caterpillar being consumed? (pics)

Tue Aug 17, 2010 10:26 pm

Is this a good thing? I've had a very good tomato season, no pests to speak of. Then today I saw this! Thanks!

Tue Aug 17, 2010 10:56 pm

That is a tomato horn worm, they are bad. They little guys about to be born living on it are good. They are the pupae of the Brachnoid wasp. Take it off the plant and take it somewhere else in the garden so the wasp will be born. Don't worry they aren't big mean stingy wasp. Than look for more of those hornworms like I said they are bad.

But letting the wasp be born will help you out in the future. Sorry can't elaborate too much I have dinner to cook.

Good luck.

Wed Aug 18, 2010 1:31 am

Your picture looks just like the one I found on this site.

Wed Aug 18, 2010 3:42 am

leave it be!!!!! those are parasitic wasp eggs, they will hatch, and infect any other caterpillars in your garden. natural pest control at its best.

Wed Aug 18, 2010 11:27 am

Here's another thread about Hornworms.

...and I think the UMN site has the ID wrong -- that looks like a tobacco hornworm.

Wed Aug 18, 2010 11:35 am

Applestar had also posted a picture that looks just like yours:

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... orm#156139

Sat Aug 21, 2010 2:05 pm

Those wasps sure do their job! I have now seen two hornworms this season, one at the CSA farm and I just found one on one of my tomato plants. But both of them looked just like the picture, covered in white pupae and not moving at all....

I looked up what the adults look like

http://www.bugladyconsulting.com/Bracon ... 0Wasps.htm

and I don't really remember seeing them. But if I ever do I will say thank you!

Here's a different picture and it says they are 1/10 to 1/4 of an inch long, so no wonder I don't notice them too much.

http://www.organicgardeninfo.com/braconid-wasp.html

It says:

The adults feed on the nectar from the flowers of weeds and flowers of the daisy (Chrysanthemum) and carrot (Umbellifers) families.

Another good reason to keep carrots, dill, fennel, parsley and queen anne's lace around and let some flower! (As well as they are host plants for swallowtail butterflies).