I have wanted to post a picture of these guys since I started the blog, and finally got some photos this year. I find it impossible to see these worms (they blend in with the plants perfectly) except when one of the wasps has laid its eggs on it. The first year or so that I grew tomatoes I had an awful problem with these worms eating them up and just devastating my crop. Luckily, their natural predators, the braconid wasp, came to the rescue. Since then we have not had any problem, as the wasps seem to find all of the hornworms and dispense with them (that is, by laying its eggs inside the worm, which then produce the cocoons you see in the picture).
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August 18, 2009 at 4:10 am
Liz
That is a horror of a picture! Oh My Gosh! I am amazed. I’ve gotten hornworms but have never seen the larvae…..eek.
I love how things balance out if you just encourage it.
August 18, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Maggie
I love that too, Liz!
And I guess it is horrible, but I don’t have too much sympathy for the hornworm. I don’t mind sharing my tomatoes, but it seems like they just take a little nibble from every tomato, leaving them all to rot. Why can’t they just completely eat one tomato before moving on? Anyway, the worst part you can’t see from the picture. The worm stays alive while incubating the wasps (maybe so they have a nice fresh worm to eat when they hatch?). So the poor thing is just sort of stuck there, hardly moving, waiting for the end. Ok, I guess I have a little sympathy…
August 19, 2009 at 5:32 am
Sherry
Hi Maggie,
I have heard of these braconid wasps being predators of the hornworm, but had never seen it in action. Yuck! lol I too have a -little- sympathy for the hornworm, but my hubby does not — they get so many of his tomatoes!