![]() ![]() ![]() When they are ready to pupate, the hornworms go underground to build their cocoons. Most of the early life stages of this insect are spent on host plants like tomatoes and peppers. ![]() They will stay in the cocoons all winter. The caterpillars feed for several weeks (they are voracious eaters – I have seen one worm strip an entire tomato plant) before creating cocoons (pupal stage). The hornworm caterpillar will begin to feed after hatching in a few days to one week. How Do Hornworms Get on My Tomato Plants?Īdult sphinx moths will lay eggs on plants in early spring. So, if you’re a gardener in my neck of the woods and you find a green caterpillar eating your tomato plant, it is likely the tobacco hornworm. It is commonly called a hawkmoth, a Carolina sphinx moth, or hummingbird moth.Īccording to the University of Florida Entomology and Nematology Department, while both hornworms can be found throughout the United States, the tomato hornworm is not common in the Southeast. The tobacco hornworm ( Manduca sexta) also turns into a large brown moth. The tomato hornworm ( Manduca quinquemaculata) turns into a large brown sphinx moth, also known as a five-spotted hawkmoth. These large green caterpillars are the larval stage of a sphinx moth. The video below from the North Carolina Small Fruit and Tobacco IPM shows the physical differences between the two species of hornworm: ![]() The thorn on the tomato hornworm is black the horn on the tobacco hornworm is red. This horn looks a bit like a thorn or a spike. The stripes on the tomato hornworm are edged in green and sometimes look like a v-shape whereas the stripes of the tobacco hornworm are edged on one side in black (Source: University of Florida Entomology and Nematology Department).īoth the tomato and tobacco hornworm have a ‘horn’ on the last section of their abdomen. These big worms can grow up to just over three inches in length and they are quite thick.īoth caterpillars have diagonal white stripes on their bodies and several small eyespot-like dots at the base of the stripes. What Does a Tomato Hornworm or Tobacco Hornworm Look Like? If you look around, you will probably find a giant green caterpillar on your tomato plants. Have you discovered that something is eating the leaves of your tomato plants and damaging your green tomatoes? You probably have a tomato hornworm or a tobacco hornworm. ![]()
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