[QUOTE=Wi-sunflower;417478]In my 30+ years of gardening, I can count the number of Tomato Horn Worms I've seen on 1 hand. I don't know why, but we usually don't get them. And I've never seen the moth.

But last year we DID see several (maybe a dozen) of the Tobacco horn worm. Similar but not much of a horn and more brown than green. And I did see several of the Hummingbird moths in the fields. We squished them as we saw them. Weird as there are plenty of tomatoes in my area besides mine but Tobacco is about 100 miles away if grown at all around here.

We do use BT now and then for our cabbage and broccoli crops so maybe that keeps them down.

Carol[/QUOTE]

What you saw was a caterpillar starting to pupate.

From what I have read and from my observations here in the south we have tobacco horn worms.
I dont think I have ever seen a tomato horn worm.:?!?:


Here is a link that shows the difference between both worms.
Worth
[URL]http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CEMQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fentnemdept.ufl.edu%2Fcreatures%2Ffield%2Fhornworm.htm&ei=cFKcU9HWKaXn8AHMwIDgCw&usg=AFQjCNG3KgUH35cOiGTm6DKAtxhJFV2TXQ[/URL]

Do the caterpillars add more coloring as they age? I found this one quickly marching across my lawn last year, none were seen in the garden or elsewhere. It does have a spike horn, so at least must be related. It was all lime green, some pale yellow barely seen striping along the segments, but none of the dots or dramatic polka dots that are shown in the ID pictures. The pics I took showing more underside were kind of blurry, but there were no dots.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v163/MizTortuga/GardenNonTomato/LimeGreenCaterpillar_zpsab3a16b1.jpg[/IMG]

So which kind was this? Have never seen one up here before.

[QUOTE=ddsack;417513]Do the caterpillars add more coloring as they age? I found this one quickly marching across my lawn last year, none were seen in the garden or elsewhere. It does have a spike horn, so at least must be related. It was all lime green, some pale yellow barely seen striping along the segments, but none of the dots or dramatic polka dots that are shown in the ID pictures. The pics I took showing more underside were kind of blurry, but there were no dots.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v163/MizTortuga/GardenNonTomato/LimeGreenCaterpillar_zpsab3a16b1.jpg[/IMG]

So which kind was this? Have never seen one up here before.[/QUOTE]

Dee from doing research on line I have found many horn worms that look similar but aren't either tobacco or tomato horn worms.

Some eat apple trees and other have specific plants they eat.
The mottled blue horn is throwing me off.

Got it!
It is a Fawn Sphinx or Laural Spinx = Spinx Kalmiae moth caterpillar?
Worth
[url]http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CC8QFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbugguide.net%2Fnode%2Fview%2F3733&ei=z3CcU6H5FYXK8wHI3YCgBw&usg=AFQjCNGeaTnS2_Z1UxHQZCqnudOtQK16aQ[/url]

I thought that looked familiar. In England we used to call it the Privet Hawk Moth. They eat Privet! How bad can that be?

Linda

[QUOTE=Labradors2;417528]I thought that looked familiar. In England we used to call it the Privet Hawk Moth. They eat Privet! How bad can that be?

Linda[/QUOTE]

Nope yet another horn worm.:lol:
Spinx Ligustri.

Worth

[url]http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=9&ved=0CEMQFjAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.learnaboutbutterflies.com%2FCaterpillar%2520-%2520Sphinx%2520ligustri.htm&ei=X3acU_bML8nI8gGCoYGICQ&usg=AFQjCNHWa-xzT-mjaDhEbx7kXd-xixC5Tw[/url]

[QUOTE=Worth1;417534]Nope yet another horn worm.:lol:
Spinx Ligustri.

Worth

[URL]http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=9&ved=0CEMQFjAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.learnaboutbutterflies.com%2FCaterpillar%2520-%2520Sphinx%2520ligustri.htm&ei=X3acU_bML8nI8gGCoYGICQ&usg=AFQjCNHWa-xzT-mjaDhEbx7kXd-xixC5Tw[/URL][/QUOTE]


Oh well. I was close, but get no cigar. Kissing cousins perhaps? :lol:

Thanks for looking it up!

Linda

[QUOTE=Labradors2;417548]Oh well. I was close, but get no cigar. Kissing cousins perhaps? :lol:

Thanks for looking it up!

Linda[/QUOTE]

Linda not trying to show anyone up.:)

I was just showing that not all horn worms eat tobacco and tomatoes.

These moths are smart they will lay there eggs on what the babies eat.

I have never seen a particular caterpillar before until I planted some passion fruit.
No sooner than I did than a pile of orange and black caterpillars showed up and started eating the vines to the ground.:no:

Worth
Introducing Agraulis vanillae.:lol:

[URL="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCsQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.butterfliesandmoths.org%2Fspecies%2FAgraulis-vanillae&ei=VJOcU_WjK4S2yATYhYCYCA&usg=AFQjCNFRINl6MeiKi9ZoeenELELifEUOdA"]http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCsQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.butterfliesandmoths.org%2Fspecies%2FAgraulis-vanillae&ei=VJOcU_WjK4S2yATYhYCYCA&usg=AFQjCNFRINl6MeiKi9ZoeenELELifEUOdA[/URL]

Thanks for the ID, Worth! Among other things it says they eat Ash and Lilac -- we have those! At least it won't bother veggie garden things ... glad I let it go on it's way. I was going to do it in, thinking it might unleash a future bunch of tomato pests, but it was so odd and beautiful in it's slightly repulsive way, that I couldn't kill it not knowing for sure what it was.

I'll give your that what I saw was probably ready to pupate, it was late in the season. But the moth I saw was quite different than in your link. I thought I took a pic, but I can't find it. The closest I could find on Google is this - [url]https://www.flickr.com/photos/13237694@N00/6207363744/[/url]

But that's not it either. The stripes were more totally straight across and more striped. Almost like a horizontal striped tee shirt. more brown and yellow.

So all in the family but something a bit different.

Carol

[QUOTE=Worth1;417500]What you saw was a caterpillar starting to pupate.

From what I have read and from my observations here in the south we have tobacco horn worms.
I dont think I have ever seen a tomato horn worm.:?!?:


Here is a link that shows the difference between both worms.
Worth
[URL]http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CEMQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fentnemdept.ufl.edu%2Fcreatures%2Ffield%2Fhornworm.htm&ei=cFKcU9HWKaXn8AHMwIDgCw&usg=AFQjCNG3KgUH35cOiGTm6DKAtxhJFV2TXQ[/URL][/QUOTE]

Well I have seen plenty of both. I can't believe there can be so many here and not over in Texas. I usually see more of the Tomato Horn Worm than the Tobacco Horn Worm. Luckily so far this year I haven't had too many but a friend of mine had nine plants almost denuded and a lot of his fruit eaten when he went out of town for a week. He was not a happy camper when they got back from the beach.

Bill

[QUOTE=b54red;417812]Well I have seen plenty of both. I can't believe there can be so many here and not over in Texas. I usually see more of the Tomato Horn Worm than the Tobacco Horn Worm. Luckily so far this year I haven't had too many but a friend of mine had nine plants almost denuded and a lot of his fruit eaten when he went out of town for a week. He was not a happy camper when they got back from the beach.

Bill[/QUOTE]

I have too many of the tobacco horn worms.
I have seen whole plants ate up over night.:evil:

Worth

Rootloops, What product gives directions for the BT as a drench. I would use that if I had the instructions on a bottle somewhere. Thanks.( Otherwise I am restricted to using "as labeled" products with my spray license. )