CLOSED: A macabre scene...what is it?

I found this on the top of my tomato plant today. It's kinda gruesome, but I was wondering what the eggs could be so I can take the proper action.

I was thinking it could be lady bug eggs, in which case I'll stick it back in the garden. I have been rescuing ladybugs from the pool and putting them in the garden. the eggs are about 3 mm in length and very white.

I have noticed ?white flies? in the garden and have been using neem oil recently. I know I'm probably killing those ladybugs I rescued, but better than losing everything.

I would appreciate any suggestions as to what this macabre scene means. Thanks!

Lena

I believe you have a good thing going: nature at work. That looks like the eggs of a parasitic wasp that lay their eggs on /in tomato and tobacco hornworms (which are bad dudes). So leave them to hatch and go on about their business of killing other hornworms for you. It is a cool thing to show kids if you have any around.

These are not eggs, but the pupae of wasps in the family Braconidae. After the wasp larvae complete their development in the caterpillar, they chew their way out and pupate on the skin of their erstwhile host. BTW, many of these wasps exhibit a phenomenon called polyembryony, in which many - sometimes more than a thousand! - larvae can develop from a single fertilized egg.

Yes, it is very fascinating. I put the poor hornworm (which incidentally, is still alive) back on a tomato leaf. It felt slightly strange to put a pest back into the garden, but considering it's fate, it wasn't so bad.

Thanks so much for the info. I thought I might have hornworms, but could never find any. Many thanks to the wasp too!

Polyembryony - sounds like the ultimate in cloning.
Thanks suunto, for the interesting entomology lesson. Is polyembryony found only in insects?
Helen

I have 4 of these on my tomato plants too! I was just going to snap a pic and post on here to find out what the heck it was!
I am confused though...I should just leave the caterpillars on the tomato plant? How are they beneficial?

Only if they have been attacked by the wasp who lays her eggs are they beneficial to your plant. I think they are saying if you see one of them covered in wasp larvae, leave it alone...the wasps are killing it. A horn worm can strip a tomato plant in a day.....unless you know yours are infected, remove them from your plants.

Thank you! There are eggs on the litte green guys! I'll just leave them...

June, those white tubular objects sticking out of the caterpillar are the future wasps. They're now (as seen) in a cacoon-like forms. Soon they will hatch and become little wasps. The caterpillar is actually your 'Tomato Worm'!

editted for typo.

This message was edited Aug 20, 2009 5:12 AM

To answer helenchild, polyembryony occurs in other animals (including humans - this is how identical twins are formed - and armadillos) as well as in some plants (see http://tinyurl.com/nd7caz)..

Lily, does that mean all of those white tubular things will become wasps? Are wasps good for the garden? Will I have to get a suit of armour to go out back? lol...Please excuse my ignorance...I'm new to all of this, but fascinated too!

These wasps are very tiny and do not sting; they only are on the lookout for caterpillars.

suunto, have you a picture of those wasp to share? I've read about them. What I learn about them is rudimentary.

June, I gather each of those 'tubes' will have a living organism inside. suunto would have better knowledge to share on those.

Each of the small white wigglers will become a small wasp and live to kill more horn worms.

suunto,
That link was like a blast from the past when I studied botany in college oh so long ago. Polyembryony of course would be identical twins! Actually there are cases of 4 identical siblings.
Thanks, Helen

See http://tinyurl.com/kll9sg for an image of the braconid wasp (Cotesia congregata) ovipositing in a hornworm.

Whoa! Indeed the wasp is tinsey bit tiny little bugger!