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gixxerific
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rainbowgardener wrote:I found one more hornworm on a tomato plant, but it was in the same condition, with the white pupae all over. So far the braconid wasps are 100% effective! And on the first one I saw, the white things have gone from being little ovals to being little tubes open on the outer end, so I take it a whole new generation of little wasps has hatched out to terrorize the hornworms (AND aphids and other bad guys!). Gotta love it!
Gotta love it RBG. It's about time I got some "people" on my side too. I keep finding new bad critters every time I go out it seems. :(

cynthia_h
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C00KiE46 wrote:Ewww I don't know what I would do if I would see one of those in my garden. Do we get those in southern CA? :?
I found one on a tomato plant at my house in (?) October 2008, so they're definitely present west of the Rockies. Many garden pests (well, the Squash Vine Borer, at least) are *not* found west of the Rockies, but these yucky things definitely are.

Cynthia H.
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C00KiE46
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I found one on a tomato plant at my house in (?) October 2008, so they're definitely present west of the Rockies. Many garden pests (well, the Squash Vine Borer, at least) are *not* found west of the Rockies, but these yucky things definitely are.

Aaaggghh hopefully I won't come across one those things. Those are HUGE.

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applestar
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Well, if you do, don't panic, remember this thread, and DON'T kill it if it has braconid wasp pupae on its back. :wink:

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rainbowgardener
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garden5 wrote:
rainbowgardener wrote:I found one more hornworm on a tomato plant, but it was in the same condition, with the white pupae all over. So far the braconid wasps are 100% effective! And on the first one I saw, the white things have gone from being little ovals to being little tubes open on the outer end, so I take it a whole new generation of little wasps has hatched out to terrorize the hornworms (AND aphids and other bad guys!). Gotta love it!
RG, did you release these wasps or were they naturally in the area.
They are naturally present; I did NOT release any. I have never even laid eyes on one since they are 1/10 th to 1/4 inch long. But they are my new best friends! :)

731greener101
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I showed the girlfriend two hornworms with wasp eggs this morning and I quote"that is sooo coool".I think I will keep this one.Greener

garden5
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rainbowgardener wrote:
garden5 wrote:
rainbowgardener wrote:I found one more hornworm on a tomato plant, but it was in the same condition, with the white pupae all over. So far the braconid wasps are 100% effective! And on the first one I saw, the white things have gone from being little ovals to being little tubes open on the outer end, so I take it a whole new generation of little wasps has hatched out to terrorize the hornworms (AND aphids and other bad guys!). Gotta love it!
RG, did you release these wasps or were they naturally in the area.
They are naturally present; I did NOT release any. I have never even laid eyes on one since they are 1/10 th to 1/4 inch long. But they are my new best friends! :)

For all those who've never seen these tiny hornworm hunters, here you go: [img]https://static.arstechnica.com/2009/02/12/larvaewasp.jpg[/img]

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applestar
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Cool photo garden5. :o

Here's a twist. That hornworm we were going to watch turn into a moth?
DD8 just brought me the container and said "My hornworm is gone -- it's been infected by those wasps."

I peered in and sure enough there are about 20 wasp larvae emerging from the caterpillar... Just like those photos I posted last year. We discussed our options, and I explained that my primary concern is not allowing the wasps to eventually emerge inside the house as they would then go after the Monarch caterpillars.

It was kind of amusing that when I suggested taking the infected hornworm to a playdate tomorrow to show our friends, DD8 gave me an incredulous look and asked if I thought their friends (two boys, BTW) would be interested in seeing the hornworm being eaten by the wasps. :wink:

cynthia_h
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Well, be sure to let us know what happens; don't leave us hanging. :D

I haven't found anything yet that grosses out 8-y.o. boys. :lol: My two nephews passed through that age completely unfazed by anything. Later, of course, maybe around 13 or 14, each of them went through a "Yuck" phase, but not at 8. Youngest nephew is only 2; kind of young yet.

Cynthia

garden5
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applestar wrote:Cool photo garden5. :o

Here's a twist. That hornworm we were going to watch turn into a moth?
DD8 just brought me the container and said "My hornworm is gone -- it's been infected by those wasps."

I peered in and sure enough there are about 20 wasp larvae emerging from the caterpillar... Just like those photos I posted last year. We discussed our options, and I explained that my primary concern is not allowing the wasps to eventually emerge inside the house as they would then go after the Monarch caterpillars.

It was kind of amusing that when I suggested taking the infected hornworm to a playdate tomorrow to show our friends, DD8 gave me an incredulous look and asked if I thought their friends (two boys, BTW) would be interested in seeing the hornworm being eaten by the wasps. :wink:
So....hornworms don't like caterpillars? It would appear so if they infected your hornworm aside from your caterpillars.

Perhaps they don't like the fur :?.

Oh, and do let us know what happens with the show and tell :wink:.

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applestar
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I have heard that braconid wasps DO parasitize monarch caterpilars, but generally speaking, I only see Tachnid fly parasitized monarchs when we collect them as 4th or 5th instars. That's why, as a rule, we only collect eggs or 1st instar caterpillars because Tachnid flies generally oviposit on older caterpillars.

When on rare occasions we do end up bringing in older caterpillars because otherwise, they may be eaten by other predators like larger wasps, spiders, etc., we place them in isolation rather than group cages.

My concern is that in absence of their preferred tobacco hornworm/sphinx moth caterpillars, etc. any braconid wasps that have free access to the monarch caterpillars will use them as hosts, when we are raising them indoors to avoid predation in the first place.

Another parasitic/beneficial insect that I have to be on the lookout for are aphid mummy maker-type wasps -- I can't remember at the moment but I think they're also braconids that oviposit inside the eggs. The infected eggs like aphid mummies -- dried up tan in color. Those have to be discarded so the tiny wasps don't emerge and use the other eggs in the hatchery.



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