A tobacco hornworm covered with eggs of a parasitic brachonid wasp. Tillage can kill up to 90% of larvae in the soil. Till the soil after harvest to destroy any burrowing larvae that are attempting to pupate. In these settings, frequently monitor tomatoes for hornworm larvae from early July through August, and hand pick the larvae from plants as needed. In the upper Midwest, up to two generations of hornworms can occur per year.Ĭontrol: Hornworms rarely cause enough damage to warrant the use of insecticides in home gardens and smaller commercial plantings. Larvae eventually drop from plants to pupate (i.e., transform from larvae into moths). Once eggs hatch, larvae immediately begin feeding, and they feed continually for approximately one month. Adults emerge in late June and lay pale-green, spherical eggs on the undersurface of tomato leaves. Life Cycle: Tomato hornworms overwinter as pupae in the soil. In addition, hornworm-damaged fruit often decay on the vine before harvest, or they may not rot but end up with dry feeding scars that make them unusable.Īdult hornworms/hawkmoths feed on nectar and do not harm plants.
If left unchecked, they can defoliate a tomato plant. Hornworm larvae can devour up to four times their weight in leaves and fruit each day. Symptoms and Effects: Hornworm larvae primarily feed on tomato leaves but occasionally feed on green fruit. Note the reddish spine (horn) protruding from the insect’s rear. Adults are often mistaken for hummingbirds due to their large size, rapid wingbeats and quick movements. Adult hornworms are large, heavy-bodied hawkmoths with a wingspan of up to five inches. A large red or black horn-like spine protrudes from the posterior (rear) end of caterpillars, giving rise to the name “hornworm”. Tobacco hornworms and tomato hornworms have seven or eight diagonal white stripes, respectively, on each side of their bodies. However, smaller hornworm larvae, due to their color, tend to blend in with plant leaves and can be difficult to detect. When fully grown, hornworm caterpillars (larvae) can be up to four inches in length and easily seen. These insects can also feed on solanaceous weeds such as horsenettle, jimsonweed and nightshade.Īppearance: You can easily identify hornworms by their blue-green color and large size. Tomato and tobacco hornworms feed only on solanaceous plants (i.e., plants in the nightshade family), most typically tomato and less commonly eggplant, pepper and potato.
However, large numbers of larvae can occasionally occur in home gardens, leading to significant damage. These insects do not typically cause significant damage in commercial vegetable fields. sexta) are large, blue-green caterpillars (larvae) with a spine (horn) on the posterior (rear) end. Tomato hornworms ( Manduca quinquemaculata) and tobacco hornworms ( M.
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