The latest dirt from my garden: Monster Caterpillar

Monday

Monster Caterpillar

Along with our Tomato harvest past fall came some strange critter, the Horn Worm. After collecting 2 whole plastic cups full for kids show and tell around the neighborhood, I came across this huge specimen. Worth Posting. Meaty Tomato's with meaty Protein.

Hosts: Primarily tomato but can also attack eggplant, pepper, and potato.

Description: The larval stage of this insect is a 3 1/2 to 4 inch long pale green caterpillar with 5 pairs of prolegs and a "horn" on the last segment. The two most common hornworms are the tobacco hornworm (7 diagonal white stripes and, most commonly, a red horn) and the tomato hornworm ("V" shaped markings with a horn that is often black). The adult of the tobacco Hornworm is the Sphinx moth. The Five-spotted Hawk Moth is the adult of the tomato hornworm. Both moths are stout-bodied, grayish-colored insects with a wing spread of 4 to 5 inches.

The larva is the damaging stage and feeds on the leaves and stems of the tomato plant leaving behind dark green or black droppings. Though initially quite small with a body about the same size as its horn, these insects pass through 4 or 5 larval stages to reach full size in about a month. The coloration of this larva causes it to blend in with its surroundings and is often difficult to see despite its large size. It eventually will burrow into the soil to pupate. There are two generations a year.

Recommendations: This insect is parasitized by a number of insects. One of the most common is a small braconid wasp. Larva that hatch from wasp eggs laid on the hornworm feed on the inside of the hornworm until the wasp is ready to pupate. The cocoons appear as white projections protruding from the hornworms body. If such projections are seen, leave the infected hornworms in the garden. The wasps will kill the hornworms when they emerge from the cocoons and will seek out other hornworms to parasitize. (Yuck)

Handpicking is an effective control in small gardens.

No comments:

Post a Comment

canary creeper, nasturtium, grow, germinate, flower, edible, tropaeolum peregrinum, germination, germinate, growing light, ornamental seeds, amorphophallus, devils hand, mexican hand tree, garden, gardening, ornamental flower, garden seeds, seed propagation, australian seeds, rare seeds, exotic seeds, playing with seeds, germination instructions, garden blog, best garden blog, tropical garden blog, unusual flowers, exotic flowers, rare flowers, rare seeds, rare plants, mail order seeds, mom and pop seed shop, seed shop, international seeds, botanical garden, botany, rare botanicals, tropical garden, exotic garden, vertical garden, eclectic plants, eclectic flower, eclectic garden seeds, garden club, garden forum, ornamentals, gardening care, ornamental tree, bonsai, gardening plants, gardening care, home gardening, landscaping, hgtv, hydroponics, germinating seeds, garden, seed catalog, flower seeds, seed companies, garden seeds, plant seeds, seed shop, seed store, Aristolochia, Amorphophallus titanum, tropical plants, tropic, tropical, fragrant, fruit, flowering, blooming, trees, botany, rare, mail, order, online, purchase, herbs, spicery, spices, shipping, ethnic, tropicals, plants, gardening, growing, garden, exotic, unusual, catalog, encyclopedia, database, search, sale, cactus, succulent, orchid, tree, palm, flower, shrub, bush, gallery, botanical, identification, catalog, Mango, Lychee, Avocado, Dragon Fruit, Longan, Carambola, Sugar Apple, Guava, Fruit trees, Fruit tree nursery, Tropical fruit trees, Mamey, Jakfruit, Rare fruit, Exotic fruit, Punta Gorda, Florida, Spices, Abiu, Sapodilla, Passion Fruit, Pomegranate, Michelia champaca, Cacao, Miracle Fruit tropical plants, tropic, tropical, fragrant, fruit, flowering, blooming, trees, botany, rare, mail, order, online, purchase, herbs, spicery, spices, shipping, ethnic, tropicals, plants, gardening, growing, garden, exotic, unusual, catalog, encyclopedia, database, search, sale, cactus, succulent, orchid, tree, palm, flower, shrub, bush, gallery, botanical, identification, catalog, Mango, Lychee, Avocado, Dragon Fruit, Longan, Carambola, Sugar Apple, Guava, Fruit trees, Fruit tree nursery, Tropical fruit trees, Mamey, Jakfruit, Rare fruit, Exotic fruit, Punta Gorda, Florida, Spices, Abiu, Sapodilla, Passion Fruit, Pomegranate, Michelia champaca, Cacao, Miracle Fruit, seeds, free, catalogs, garden, palms, cacti, herbs, tobacco, trees, flowers, bonsai, software, contest, home income, house, plants, rainforest, pesticide, potpourri, vines, medicine, cigars, greenhouse, farm, health, smoking, gift certificates, unusual vegetables, oak trees, stevia seeds, rare palms, tobacco kiln, seed primer, seed germination, citrus seeds, banana seeds, datura seeds, pest repellents, fall vegetables, papaya seeds, acacia, houseplants, bible, chinese, essential oil, bottles, mother nature, xeriscape, extraordinary seeds, limited seeds, scarce seeds, singular seeds, strange seeds, subtle seeds, uncommon seeds, unique seeds, unlikely seeds, unthinkable seeds, seeds, unusual seeds, attenuate seeds, attenuated seeds, endangered seeds, isolated seeds, bizarre seeds, noteworthy seeds, unique seeds, odd seeds, rare seeds, exotic seeds, eccentric seeds, freakish seeds, unconventional seeds, weird seeds, extreme seeds, curious seeds, different seeds, alien seeds, alluring seeds, fascinating seeds, unfamilar seeds, enticing seeds, extraordinary seeds, ornamental seeds, stunning seeds, extraordinary plants, limited plants, scarce plants, singular plants, strange plants, subtle plants, uncommon plants, unique plants, unlikely plants, unthinkable plants, plants, unusual plants, attenuate plants, attenuated plants, endangered plants, isolated plants, bizarre plants, noteworthy plants, unique plants, odd plants, rare plants, exotic plants, eccentric plants, freakish plants, unconventional plants, weird plants, extreme plants, curious plants, different plants, alien plants, alluring plants, fascinating plants, unfamilar plants, enticing plants, extraordinary plants, ornamental plants, stunning plants, extraordinary flowers, limited flowers, scarce flowers, singular flowers, strange flowers, subtle flowers, uncommon flowers, unique flowers, unlikely flowers, unthinkable flowers, flowers, unusual flowers, attenuate flowers, attenuated flowers, endangered flowers, isolated flowers, bizarre flowers, noteworthy flowers, unique flowers, odd flowers, rare flowers, exotic flowers, eccentric flowers, freakish flowers, unconventional flowers, weird flowers, extreme flowers, curious flowers, different flowers, alien flowers, alluring flowers, fascinating flowers, unfamilar flowers, enticing flowers, extraordinary flowers, ornamental flowers, stunning flowers, extraordinary vegetables, limited vegetables, scarce vegetables, singular vegetables, strange vegetables, subtle vegetables, uncommon vegetables, gmo-free vegetables, organic vegetables, unique vegetables, unlikely vegetables, unthinkable vegetables, vegetables, unusual vegetables, attenuate vegetables, attenuated vegetables, endangered vegetables, isolated vegetables, bizarre vegetables, noteworthy vegetables, unique vegetables, odd vegetables, rare vegetables, exotic vegetables, eccentric vegetables, freakish vegetables, unconventional vegetables, weird vegetables, extreme vegetables, wild vegetables, curious vegetables, different vegetables, alien vegetables, alluring vegetables, fascinating vegetables, unfamilar vegetables, enticing vegetables, extraordinary vegetables, ornamental vegetables, stunning vegetables, extraordinary fruits, limited fruits, scarce fruits, singular fruits, strange fruits, subtle fruits, uncommon fruits, gmo-free fruits, organic fruits, unique fruits, unlikely fruits, unthinkable fruits, fruits, unusual fruits, attenuate fruits, attenuated fruits, endangered fruits, isolated fruits, bizarre fruits, noteworthy fruits, unique fruits, odd fruits, rare fruits, exotic fruits, eccentric fruits, freakish fruits, unconventional fruits, weird fruits, extreme fruits, curious fruits, different fruits, alien fruits, alluring fruits, fascinating fruits, unfamilar fruits, wild fruits, enticing fruits, extraordinary fruits, ornamental fruits, stunning fruits,

The latest dirt from my garden

Monday

Monster Caterpillar

No comments:

The Gardener

Garden Helper.gov

Some Garden Helpers

Blog Archive

Other Things

Friends and Followers

Visitors

Blog Top Sites

Garden Blog Directories

Popular Posts

Note Pad: Currently looking for:

.