Tale of the Tomato Hornworm

[cbohar84]

It will adorably destroy all tomatoes in sight, glad they stayed away from my garden this year...

[dudeinma55ter]

Its last meal... I like your style lady.

[gkale1]

I saw one of these crawling across my driveway the other day it was weird.

[zelda1fiction1child]

This reminds me of a story my brother told me:

In his high school, there was this kid named Barry who would eat bugs alive for money, so one day I heard he was eating a tomato worm and I wanted to go. So he puts the worm in his mouth, pops it in, chews it (along with some icky, sticky green blood secreting from the worm) and swallows it. XD

I was about 12 years old, and I puked up my dinner.

XDDDD

[Dracosgal8]

I throw these things in the road and let the cars run over em i cant stand em

[ARandomDaydreamer]

awww

for something that destroys your tomatoes they're actually pretty cute :D

[theresam28]

That is actually a tobacco hornworm..tomato have 8 lines and a black horn, versus 7 lines and a red horn.

[Automeris]

Annie, don't be so hard on the sphinx moth larvae. The moths are actually beneficial! That's a tobacco worm [Manduca sexta] not a tomato worm [M. quinquemaculata]. I grow tomatoes and peppers--neither are pests that mandate control. Worry more about aphids and spider mites or better yet, fungal diseases!

[StarCraftWhore]

These things are funny...my friend breeds them and all they do is eat and poop non stop. They kind of remind me of him ^^;

[POKOHelba]

remember, leave them alone if they have little white things. you want more of those white things. theyre parasitic wasps that kill the worms.

[MandatoryRegSux0rs]

That's tobacco hornworm. Tomato hornworms have black horns and different stripes. The names are non-descriptive since both species will eat tobacco and tomato or any other solanaceaous plant.

[chug11649]

i h8 those things one time i was out picking peppers and one was hanging down and i picked it up thinking it was a pepper but it wasnt XD more like a horn worm i H8 Those things!

[CropDusterMan]

A more interesting video would be to spray it with some Lannate, and then watch over a 4 minute period as it shits and pukes it's guts out with a very violent death. hey...that gives me a video idea! ;o)

[Automeris]

That's just cruel....and quite sick! If you have to kill something--do it quickly and humanely. Keep your Lannate to the real crop pests that need control, not a benign species.

Violent death indeed! You probably enjoy combine demolition derbies and dog fights, too.

[CropDusterMan]

Hi Automeris,

Are you serious? Are you actually calling the worms that defoliate tomato plants a benign species? Insects such as these cause tremendous economic crop damage and must be controlled. And why are you so hard on the USDA? Are you one of those who believes conventional farming is evil and all crops should be grown "organically"?...please.

[Automeris]

I farm conventionally as well as non-cert "organic. I never said to not use insecticides. I said don't use Lannate to torture a hornworm. You can squish it more quickly.

I do not have defoliation of tomato plants from hornworms. I have issues with aphids, spider mites and BER! The USDA is just another beauracracy.

[CropDusterMan]

You actually said...

"I hand-rear them too. Sadly, this fine, native insect is locally endangered, thanks to a European parasite, compliments of our illustrious USDA".

Wait a minute??..you actually raise hornworms? Are you a hornworn wisperer? These insects cause tremendous damage...perhaps the reason you don't have any in your garden is that the parasite is doing its job...thanks USDA. Maybe you'll start raising cockroaches med. fruit flies next or perhaps gypsy moths or zebra mussels?...

[Automeris]

You're rather crude and illogical for thinking I would produce non-native, invasive fauna! You've also said Malathion was not dangerous. Of course it is! USDA did not import the native braconid wasp--a balancer of our ecosystem.

Go back to your torture of inverts, dog fights and combine demolitions.

[CropDusterMan]

Malathion, when used by a certified Qualified Applicator (such as myself) is not a dangerous pesticide, as all elements of environmental and human safety have been considered and careful usage of these materials is stricktly regulated.Poison is dosage related. Salt, when taken in high amounts will kill you, and FYI, Vitamin D had a lower LD50 than

Malathion.Your arguments are flawed and you are full of contradiction, and may I also add, overly emotional.

[CropDusterMan]

oops, spelled strictly wrong...my bad.

[CropDusterMan]

BTW, anyone know where I can go to see a good "Combine Demolition"?

[Automeris]

Naw, just go to Mexico. A good dog fight is even more up your alley.

[CropDusterMan]

Unlike the rest of your dribble, I take offense to that one, but considering your intellect, I'll let it slide.

[Automeris]

Like I said, that one is just your speed.

[Automeris]

No more "emotional" than you, but way less biased. I am aware of the tolerances of ag chems. I'm certified myself. Remember, I do farm. You are just making unfounded, sweeping generalities, comparing a native insect to an invader and the cause of much destruction. The ONLY crop Manducas seriously harm, is tobacco, which is itself, controversial. Tomatoes simply rebound by off-shooting the stripped stems.

[CropDusterMan]

Tomatoes are not a crop damaged by Manducas Sexta? Thats funny...why did I treat 400 acres of tomatoes last summer every 14 days with liquid BT and they were listed on the PCA's REC as one of the target pests? Last summer, I had a neighbor whose garden was deimated after a long weekend away from home by hornworms...

[Automeris]

Where at, Florida? There's no way hornworms can cause damage enough on commercial fields in the central Plains or western states, to even warrant costly applications.

Aerial spraying/dusting is rather unique. No Bt here, but I spray Roundup and some soapy water. Use a Patriot sprayer, which is really nice.

My worst crop pest ever [it attacks the actual edible part] is the stupid corn ear worms. Those are nasty noctuids, not splendid sphingids.

[destroyahdes]

I love hornworms. They aren't enemies to me and most welcome on my tomato plants. I try to find them as eggs before the wasps find them. Then I raise them and let the adults fly away as beautiful moths. They are very beneficial pollinators. Come see my videos. I've posted tutorials on how to raise them.

[Automeris]

I'm with you. Those big cats make cool pets and are totally harmless. No, they do NOT bite--just try to. I hand-rear them too. Sadly, this fine, native insect is locally endangered, thanks to a European parasite, compliments of our illustrious USDA.

[destroyahdes]

Yeah I had some that I found on a Datura plant, also member of the tomato family but quite poisonous. I began to raise them and all were parasatised and had coccoons come out. Since they were doomed and I didn't want to raise wasps I had to flush them. That sucked. But if you keep raising and releasing you will help the population. Plant Four o'clocks for the adults. They LOVE them.  Come see my videos of my garden and my worms I raised.

[Automeris]

Hyles lineata is the Mirabilis eater. It's Kansas' most common sphinx. I enjoy rearing those, too, but are just harder to find feed for.

[destroyahdes]

This is true. I platned some prime rose seeds so hopefully I can get a nice bush to be a host plant but so far it's a tiny seedling.

[Automeris]

Evening primrose, tall buttercup, buckwheats/docks and guaras are among the host plants for lineatas. Lineatas are not a pest of anything--they eat weeds.

Manduca hornwrms are the only biological enemy of the dreaded puncturevine, a nasty alien weed in the central/western US.

[destroyahdes]

I never said Lineatas was a pest. I quite love thier pretty colors and unlike the Carolina Sphinx they have light colored eyes. That's neat. I have seeds of a pink Evening Primerose that I hope to establish in my garden. My four O'clocks are blooming so I'm hoping I'll get some sphinx soon.  I'm ready to start bug season this year.

[Automeris]

I know you didn't. I'm just letting other readers know. Yes they do have paler eyes than Manducas. They also fly much earlier while still daylight.

[blkguy620]

careful, that thing bites. Grow some spearmint it attracts the brachonid wasps , they lay eggs on hornworms.

[wolfpaw999]

i found one of these yesterday on the sidewalk, i ahve no clue why in the world it was there cause there wernt any tomato plants or anything near by! also a few years ago i found another one. it fell from a tree! wtf!?

[veracole]

Wow, what do you guys have/do for lunch? Congratulations on fine performances all 'round--but clearly a star is born (Lena Hornworm). And can you believe there are OTHER hornworm clips on YouTube? It's a new genre, tell NetFlix. Congrats again, lovely, touching, great worm-meets-veggie flick with daring horn shots sure to thrill all.

[bonald24]

Dear Ann,

Congratulations! Your film, The Tale of the Tomato Hornworm, has been nominated for Best Informative Film About Hornworms and Best Performance By a Hornworm in a Leading Role at this year's Tomato Hornworm Film Festival.

All of us on The Tomato Hornworm Film Festival nomination committee would like to take this opportunity to commend you, and all of the members of SunFace Productions, for raising awareness of the dangers posed by the great Tomato Hornworm.

[bonald24]

Dear Ann,

Congratulations! Your film, The Tale of the Tomato Hornworm, has been nominated for Best Informative Film About Hornworms and Best Performance By a Hornworm in a Leading Role at this year's Tomato Hornworm Film Festival.

All of us on The Tomato Hornworm Film Festival nomination committee would like to take this opportunity to commend you, and all of the members of SunFace Productions, for raising awareness of the dangers posed by the great Tomato Hornworm.

[robareowl]

Yay Lauren's mom! That's cool (and a little gross). A bug that small shouldn't have a mouth that big...

[maereth]

OMG HURNWERMS SUK YO

Just kidding. That is a really cute little worm.

[wolfpaw999]

its not a worm its a catapillar! and yes it is cute!

[lgalanter]

This is definitely the best hornworm video I'VE EVER SEEN!