Tomato Hornworm

Tomato and tobacco hornworms are considered a pest across all of North America. These large worms cause a greate deal of damage with their voracious appetites. The moth is part of the sphinx or hawkmoth species that beats its wings fast, like a hummingbird.

There are actually two subspecies of hornworm. The Carolina Sphinx moth (Manduca sext) is pictures in this page. The larva has a red horn and the moth is shown in the above picture. The Five-Spitted Hawkmoth (Manduca quinquemaculata) is a close relative, but seems to be a bit rarer. It's larva has a blue or green horn and the lines form an angle around the oval spiracles on its side. The adult has a similar coloration to the Carolina Sphinx.

Just after being found.

One week later. Fifth instar

The pupas. Note how the proboscis makes a "handle" on the pupa. The adult moth.

Hornworms are often victimized by parasitic wasps that lay their eggs inside the larva. The wasp larva eat the insides of the hornworm and spins a cocoon outside the hornworm. The hornworm is eventually killed. This picture shows a hornworm with a number of wasp cocoons on it.

	Just after being found.
One week later.		Fifth instar
The pupas. Note how the proboscis makes a "handle" on the pupa.		The adult moth.
Hornworms are often victimized by parasitic wasps that lay their eggs inside the larva. The wasp larva eat the insides of the hornworm and spins a cocoon outside the hornworm. The hornworm is eventually killed. This picture shows a hornworm with a number of wasp cocoons on it.