This is the third one on my tomatoes.
What is it?
Do I protect it or squish it?
Hey Brad! It's already dead really. It's been parasitized by something. That's what the white eggs are on it's back. I think I personally would kill it to put it out of it's misery, but others might not agree.
Hi konkrete~
Knew I could depend on you.
I had also found the white eggs on a couple of leaves. I squished them.
I'll snap this off and do the same.
It is pretty late for cats.
Be well
Brad
Actually, those are cocoons of Cotesia congregatus (I think), a wasp. You'll also see it called by the old name, Apanteles. The eggs are injected into the caterpillar by the female and the last stage larvae emerge to pupate as you see them. Depending on your view of hornworm caterpillars eating your tomatoes (I don't mind a few, just as long as they are not defoliating the plant) the wasps can be beneficial. If you take a caterpillar inside to raise, this is probably not what you want to see. KB is right, it's not going to grow any more. If you kill it though, you will also likely kill the parasites, so if you want them you need to wait until they emerge. See:
http://www.uky.edu/~mjshar0/genera/Cotesia/congregata.html
FM
poor thing. What a way to go
Yeah, that's what I said. ;) Cocoons, eggs...what it means is it's going to be nasty things that come OUT of the cocoon instead of a hummingbird moth. yuck! (btw Fly, FM is our new expert here!)
I can't stand to think of the poor cat suffering so I'd rather flush it and spare it. I love my beneficial insects but some of their behavior is just not easy for me to see. Like my huge garden spider that had one of my Monarch's in it's web yesterday!! I said if she caught one she was going to have to go live in the neighbor's yard. My husband objected but it's Monarch season here and that will be too traumatic for me!
FM~, thanks. I have already disposed of them.
and, Konkrete~, what got to to abdicate?
P.S. I found another one, with the cat already desiccated and browned out. Yeccchhh.
: )
lol...funny that you said that because I thought afterwards that I didn't mean it to sound like I was an expert! He really IS one since he's an Entomologist.
I told you...eeewww! Such is life tho.
WOW
And how have you been?
: )
I'm good! You? Busy with school starting and lots of things to do in my garden now. Lots of butterflies and I actually have 2 hummers. I've got 50 Monarch eggs fixing to hatch.
My passionvine is huge with very little of it being eaten. The cats just can't seem to avoid the spiders and assassin bugs. I tried collecting the eggs and bringing them in but they are hard to get to, then I just forgot. Maybe I'll look for some tomorrow and bring them in with the Monarchs.
You still in NJ? I think I saw a thread where you said the hummers were leaving there.
Yes. We see occasional Monarchs here.
But we move back to Florida mid-October. Can't wait to see what's doing there. The passifloras are still surviving. They'll be bare when I get there -- but will re-foliate in the spring. They do seem to keep my GF's happy.
Be well
: )
You sure you're the same guy that didn't really want those cats eating his vine? lol Turns out, it's not such a bad thing after all.
Have a safe trip home! The Monarchs will probably be following you.
Thanks -- and be well.
That's an interesting photo. I have never seen a hornworm with the wasp eggs on them,just heard about it. My tomato plants were lucky this year,no horn worms.
Hornworms are good for one other purpose.... pet food. Yeah, I know a few of you are looking at the screen,mumbling...."Huh?" I have a pet Bearded Dragon that loves hornworms. I never feed him ones from the "outdoors",because they can carry pesticides and parasites(such as the wasp eggs). I buy them from a local pet store.
They suck it pretty dry.
: )