Tomato Hornworm covered with white cocoons of Braconid Wasp

Caterpillar with white parasites on its back. What are they? ANSWER: The white things on the Tomato Hornworm's back are cocoons of the braconid wasp. A wasp lays eggs in the caterpillar then the larvae eat the host caterpillar's insides. The larvae then burrow OUT of the caterpillar and make white cocoons on the skin. Then, when mature enough, they come out of the cocoons as young wasps. This caterpillar is NOT having a good day! He's a goner, soon.

This Caterpillar (Tomato Hornworm) was on my tomato plant.
Northeaster United States, August 2010.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Tomato
• Hornworm
• white
• eggs
• Braconid
• Wasp
• cocoons
• cocoon

[OrganicGarden123]

FYI to viewers: check out the video response from nova2512. He shows the difference between a tomato hornworm vs. a tobacco hornworm and apparently mine was a tobacco hornworm. (Damn bugger is trying to smoke my tomato plants!).

Also, apparently the wasp lays eggs INSIDE the hornworm, and the white things are when larve come OUT and make these WHITE COCOONS!

Cool stuff! Check out his video response to learn more.

[NintyFan56]

I noticed one when I attaining to my tomatoes last year full of eggs. Now that I have better uderstanding of this issue, theres no need for concern; unless I find another one with no eggs..

[OrganicGarden123]

@NintyFan56 Yes, if you see a hornworm with NO eggs, get rid of it before it eats your plants. If it DOES have wasp eggs on it, then leave it there so the wasps will hatch and attack those pesky hornworms (so you don't have to!).

[ladygodia]

I like how the guy is talking like he is professor but he doesn't even know what it is. LOL.

[OrganicGarden123]

@ladygodia Actually, on THIS video I actually DID know what this was (Tomato Hornworm covered with white eggs of Braconid Wasp). But when I did the FIRST version of this video I was TOTALLY clueless, and only by openly proclaiming my ignorance did I get lots of helpful education from viewers who clued me in. One of the things I love about gardening is that I am NOT an expert, so I get to learn as I go, which for me is fun. Wishing you all the best. Happy gardening!

[pinksarah21]

Ewww. poor caterpiller

[Darkangelmmortalwin]

you should've killed it, the caterpillar deserves a mercy killing rather than being eaten alive.

[Str8yStudios]

EEEWWWWWWWWWW DDDDDDDX I JUST SPRAYED THE ONE ON MY TOMATO PLANT WITH PESTICIDES >3<

[alove2110]

Woo hoo to the wasp!!! I had two hornworms covered in my garden! I put the worms in jar so my kids and could watch them hatch....they finally hatched today now we're having a wasp releasing so they go and kill more horn worms!!

[paranoidxgrace]

I found 4 of the Hornworms covered in the eggs but they just keep moving. My poor pepper plants have almost NO leaves left, I had to get rid of the catipilars first.

[lougentpix]

The white objects aren't wasp eggs. The eggs are very small and they have already been in the caterpillar and the wasp larvae have hatched and have been feeding on the caterpillar. The white objects are cocoons, the braconid wasp pupae are within these white objects. The wasp adult will emerge from these white objects, the cocoons. The cocoons are made of silk that the wasp larvae have produced from glands in the mouth.

[Cicelyxxx]

Can you get tomatoe worms in england?