Tomato hornworms consume huge, ragged holes in tomato leaves, simply eating entire leaves. Hornworms additionally consume stems and inexperienced fruit, and if they come early sufficient within the season seedlings and younger vegetation.
Tomato hornworms feed no longer most effective on tomatoes but in addition peppers, eggplants, and potatoes—any member of the nightshade relatives.
One of the simplest ways to keep watch over tomato hornworms is to handpick them from tomato-family vegetation and weigh down them. Parasitic wasps launched within the lawn too can keep watch over hornworms.
The tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata) is a inexperienced caterpillar with seven or 8 white stripes and a black horn projecting from its rear finish. It’s the best-known tomato pest and the most important; the hornworm can develop from 3 to 4 to 5 inches lengthy. The tomato hornworm is the larval degree of the five-spotted hawk moth; it too is huge with a wingspan of just about 5 inches. (A an identical species is the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta), additionally inexperienced with white stripes, however a pink horn jutting from its rear.)
Lifecycle of the tomato hornworm. Hawk moths emerge from soilborne pupae in early summer time originally of the tomato gardening season. Grownup moths lay eggs at the underside of leaves, and eggs hatch in per week. The larvae—the tomato hornworm–feed for roughly 4 weeks then pupate within the soil most often till the next summer time. However in lengthy summer time areas, there will also be two, 3, or 4 generations in a yr.
Grownup moths. The hawk moth is a mottled grayish or brownish moth with a big, bushy frame. White zigzags seem at the rear wings and orange or brownish spots at the aspects of the stomach. The hawk moth has lengthy, slim grey wings and a wingspan as much as 4- to 5-inches. The moth flies most commonly at twilight and will hover hummingbird-like within the air to sip nectar from deep-throated plant life. The hawk moth lays eggs at the underside of tomato-family vegetation and weeds.
Eggs. Hawk moths lay unmarried greenish-yellow eggs at the underside of leaves. The eggs hatch small inexperienced caterpillars in a couple of week.
Larvae. The tomato hornworm is the larval degree of the hawk moth. This is a inexperienced caterpillar as much as 5-inches lengthy with V-shaped white marks down the edges of the frame and a black horn on the tail finish. (The comparable tobacco hornworm is identical however has seven white stripes down the aspect and a pink horn.) The hornworm chews on leaves leaving most effective the midribs of leaves in the back of and every so often chews into inexperienced fruit. The hornworm reaches complete dimension after 3 or 4 weeks of feeding.
In autumn, hornworms pupate forming a troublesome shell. The pupae relaxation within the soil over the iciness 3 or 4 inches beneath the outside.
Hornworms with white rice-like projections protruding in their backs were attacked by way of parasitic wasps. Parasitic wasps—recurrently braconid wasps–lay white eggs at the backs of hornworms; the larvae hatch and feed at the interior organs of the hornworm.
Tomato Hornworm Controls
• Lawn cultivation. Early within the lawn season, flip the soil the place tomato relatives vegetation grew the season sooner than. Cultivation will divulge hornworm pupae to killing chilly and birds.
• Handpicking. Handpick caterpillars from foliage. Take a look at tomato-family vegetation often for larvae and handpick them. (Hornworms would possibly glance imply, however they’re going to no longer hurt people.) Take away hornworms from vegetation and weigh down them or drown them in soapy water. Don’t handpick and wreck parasitized caterpillars; they’re going to hatch recommended parasitic braconid wasps.
• Parasitic wasps. Draw in or unencumber parasitic braconid wasps into the lawn. Braconid wasps lay eggs on caterpillars, regularly forming small white cocoons at the pores and skin. When the wasp eggs hatch, the larvae feed on hornworms. Trichogramma wasps parasitize hornworms within the egg degree.
• Spray. Spray small caterpillar with Bt, Bacillus thuringiensis, a pathogenic bacterium (secure to guy). Spinosad (a bacterium-based insecticide) too can keep watch over hornworms.
• Repellant vegetation. Plant borage, marigold, or opal basil within the lawn. Those vegetation repel hawk moths and hornworms.
