The Invaders

So HE comes in from working outside a few days ago and says "There'r these four-inch long caterpillars on the tomatoes growing in the compost pile!" Kinda with that "it's pretty cool" tone of voice. And I'm thinking... "Hmmm, somehow I doubt this will turn out to be a good thing..."

Alas, tomato hornworms have invaded our property. They are quite impressive. I haven't seen anything like it before in my lifetime and I grew up on a farm. One could also call them scarey-looking. My son, however, thinks they are neat and disallows the harming of any tomato hornworms. I have a tomato hornworm on my kitchen counter (it's in a container.... with holes). I would like not to have a tomato hornworm on my counter or anywhere else around my being. But mothers sometimes make concessions with their childrens' interests, participating in a variety of things they would never have dreamed of doing prior to their mothering days.

Quite impressive--though this guy is looking a bit peaked (he's been in the house for a few days). These critters can do an amazing amount of damage in a relatively short period of time. In a day we found about a half dozen in the garden that had eaten the tops off of several of our tomato plants. They weren't there the day before. Or maybe they were, but we just didn't see the evidence of their presence. These guys turn into a sphynx moth, also called a hawk moth or hummingbird moth. Interestingly (or grossly) wasps prey on them, laying their eggs directly on the outside of their bodies. When the larvae emerge they feed on the hornworm. Nasty. I really didn't care to know about the parasitic activities going on in my garden without my consent, but one learns these things when one is a homeschooling parent.

Sigh.

Ignorance is bliss.

Anyone want to weed my garden? I'm afraid to go out there alone.....