Current Events > Found out what was eating all my tomato plants.

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/8/8/AAZvZqAADx3g.jpg

he was massive. as big as my index finger, easily. couldn't bring myself to kill him so he chomps on.

Good for him.

Damn, he sure blends in well.

Wonder if it helps in other ways

Let us know if she gets to a meter long.

you might want to move him instead of letting him chomp on because he will kill entire plants

Knew exactly what this would be

Also and @dolomedes

fun fact: even though they mostly feed on tomato plants, they're actually called "tobacco hornworms" while a similar species (looks almost identical but instead of white straight stripes, they have white V-shaped patterns) called "tomato hornworms" are apparently found on tobacco plants more than on tomato plants

The moths look like this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manduca_sexta#/media/File:Manduca_sexta_MHNT_CUT_2010_0_104_Caranavi,_La_Paz_Bolivia_male_dorsal.jpg

and are quite big (around 4-5 inches in wingspan iirc) and flap their wings really fast, like almost hummingbird levels of fast. If you want, you could fill a container with about 6 inches of soil and put the caterpillar in, continue feeding it tomato leaves (probably just for a few days now) and then it will burrow into the soil and pupate over the winter (leave container outside. It's more likely to survive in natural elements, even if winter gets really cold in your area). Next spring or early summer, the moth will arrive.

actually if it's only finger-sized, it might not even be in the final instar (caterpillar development stage)

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


*high fives*

KaZooo posted...

Wonder if it helps in other ways

well. it turns into this: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/9/7/AAZvZqAADx3p.jpg

which are kinda pretty. and they pollinate flowers so that helps

FigureOfSpeech posted...

Knew exactly what this would be

Also and @dolomedes

fun fact: even though they mostly feed on tomato plants, they're actually called "tobacco hornworms" while a similar species (looks almost identical but instead of white straight stripes, they have white V-shaped patterns) called "tomato hornworms" are apparently found on tobacco plants more than on tomato plants

The moths look like this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manduca_sexta#/media/File:Manduca_sexta_MHNT_CUT_2010_0_104_Caranavi,_La_Paz_Bolivia_male_dorsal.jpg

and are quite big (around 4-5 inches in wingspan iirc) and flap their wings really fast, like almost hummingbird levels of fast. If you want, you could fill a container with about 6 inches of soil and put the caterpillar in, continue feeding it tomato leaves (probably just for a few days now) and then it will burrow into the soil and pupate over the winter (leave container outside. It's more likely to survive in natural elements, even if winter gets really cold in your area). Next spring or early summer, the moth will arrive.

actually if it's only finger-sized, it might not even be in the final instar (caterpillar development stage)

amazing!

Horn worms will devastate your tomato plants. If you can't kill it, then you should move it or you could lose the entire plant. There is probably more than just the one and they are voracious.

Perhaps you could put it in a jar or something and provide it with tomato leaves to eat. That way you control the damage to the plants instead of it just eating however it wants.

slimy yet satisfying

rip plants

MixedRaceBaby posted...

well. it turns into this: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/9/7/AAZvZqAADx3p.jpg

which are kinda pretty. and they pollinate flowers so that helps

not quite. Those are a related species and the caterpillars look very similar. See the wikipedia page I linked to. The actual tobacco hornworm moth (Carolina Sphynx iirc) isn't as pretty but has the same proportions/physical structure and is larger.

Either way, it's worth taking care of (plus the caterpillars don't need to eat tomatoes themselves. They will, but only the leaves are really a staple for them, so if you put them in a container and feed them just the leaves, they'll be completely fine. There is no benefit for them to eat the tomatoes themselves unless there are no leaves available... and it gives them diarrhea >_>)

okay cool thanks. i'll find a jar and make a little habitat for it.

just soil to later bury in and leaves?

beware the tomacco hornworm

I had a fox, and I didn't know they even ate tomatoes.

Should have kept it.

they have to or birds gobble them right up

MixedRaceBaby posted...

okay cool thanks. i'll find a jar and make a little habitat for it.

just soil to later bury in and leaves?

Yeah. The soil is more important when it's at maximum size. They shit a lot >_> so cleaning that without removing soil might be a pain if soil is added too early (I would need a size reference pic to know how soon it is likely to need soil). Generally, before it's ready to pupate, just leaves is fine. When it's close to that time, it will stop eating and will start hauling ass all over the container like it's possessed. That's how you know it's ready and that's when soil needs to come into play. A larger container is preferable so that it has room to burrow. Even something like a box would work (I would recommend a screen on top if you do that)

Also, something to look out for... if you notice white phallic-shaped things covering it at any time, like this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manduca_sexta#/media/File:Tobacco_Hornworm_with_cocoons.jpg

euthanize it immediately. That means it parasitized and unfortunately a dead caterpillar walking. The damage is already fatal at that point and removing the parasites will not save it.

Oh damn, that poor caterpillar in that pic D:

You seem to know a lot about these things, I've never been into bugs myself but I'm finding this pretty interesting.

viewmaster_pi posted...

beware the tomacco hornworm

I wonder if there are Cannabis Hornworms...

Ha, I have a rubber toy version of one of those bugs somewhere around here. Bought when I was in like third fucking grade because I live in NC and tobacco was our big crop, so some museum or something was selling them on a field trip.

I would just obliterate it.