There are a few species of hornworms that inhabit North American gardens, including tomato hornworms ( Manduca quinquemaculata) and tobacco hornworms ( Manduca sexta). You may find white cocoons and their hornworm hosts nearby. Look for stems missing some leaves and wilted leaves hanging down.Then look at the underside of leaves, and you’ll likely find a hornworm. Look closely at the TOP of your tomato leaves for dark green or black droppings left by the larvae feeding on the leaves.Hornworms tend to start feeding from the top of the plant look for chewed or missing leaves.Just get used to a daily patrol, looking for hornworm eggs and small caterpillars. The larvae blend in really well with the plant greenery. Tomato hornworms come from a mottled brown-gray moth (see picture, above). (Don’t worry, they aren’t able to sting or bite!) The caterpillar also has eight V-shaped stripes on its green body. They are pale green with white and black markings, plus a horn-like protrusion stemming from their rear. Hornworms can be up to 5 inches long-which can be quite a shock when you first come across one! They do the most damage in the caterpillar-or larval-stage. Look out for the moths in late spring. Photo by Didier Descouens/Wikimedia Commons. More than one generation a year may be possible in warmer climates. Moths will emerge in the spring, and will then lay eggs once again.If the weather is warm enough, larvae may only burrow for as little as 2–3 weeks. Caterpillar larvae will hatch in late spring and feed for 4–6 weeks before creating a cocoon, overwintering in their pupal state in the soil.The adult moths are easily recognizable they’re commonly called sphinx or hummingbird moths. In late spring, large adult moths lay eggs on the undersides of foliage, which will hatch within a week.Tomato (and tobacco) hornworms live according to the following life cycle: They blend in quite easily with the green foliage and feed non-stop, creating spotty and chewed leaves and fruit. Both species can ruin your tomato crop in record time! They also feed on other plants in the Solanaceae (nightshade) family: eggplants, peppers, tobacco, and potatoes. There are two main garden pest species, tomato hornworms, and tobacco hornworms, which can be found in most regions of the U.S. If you’ve ever grown tomatoes, chances are good that you’ve dealt with these green caterpillar pests.

Get ready by learning about how to control tomato hornworms in your garden. Big, fat, and green! These caterpillars can do a lot of damage to our summer crops.

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