Tobacco hornworms

[lancaster1313]

I found what I think are tobacco hornworms on some sunflower plants that my daughter planted. I heard that they can get big, but wow! I used a tailors measuring tape, to measure them and they are over 4 inches, with thier heads tucked in! The wierd thing is that they are on the sunflower plants when 3 feet away there is a tomato plant. I have seen this kind before, but they must have been younger. These things are monsters. My daughter won't leave them alone, I have to lock the deadbolt or she will sneak out and bring them in. They feel so smooth and soft, but it is funny when they try to hit with thier heads. I can't help but to flinch every time. :lol: They are worth the defoliated sunflower plants.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Oh dear me, don't let her touch them, worse than ticks! I can't stand em... haha, soft, what a loon!

Lock that baby up until she grows out of it

 

[Ntsees]

Sorry, but I can't stand tobacco hornworms. I like the moths though. Everytime I see or hear about the word "tobacco hornworm", there's only one thing that pops in my mind - the parasites on the backs of those things...yuck.

 

[lancaster1313]

No parasites on mine. What can they do to a human? They have got on my nerves, when I was trying to grow tomatoes. I heard that they can be hand picked off tomato plants. I touched the horn and it didn't do anything. All I got was whacked with the head a couple of times. :lol: They are kind of frightening, with thier horn, and thier size. I always wash up after touching critters, even dogs and cats.

 

[Colorcham427]

No parasites on mine. What can they do to a human? They have got on my nerves, when I was trying to grow tomatoes. I heard that they can be hand picked off tomato plants. I touched the horn and it didn't do anything. All I got was whacked with the head a couple of times. :lol: They are kind of frightening, with thier horn, and thier size. I always wash up after touching critters, even dogs and cats.

can you catch them ALL and ship them to me? pleeease i pay you shipping !!!

hornworms are beautiful cats and hawkmoths are extrordinary flying moths

 

[lancaster1313]

can you catch them ALL and ship them to me? pleeease i pay you shipping !!! hornworms are beautiful cats and hawkmoths are extrordinary flying moths

I wouldn't know the first thing about shipping live creatures, There are only 2 of the 4 and a half or maybe 5 inchers. My daughter is attached to them. We were thinking of raising them ourselves, once they start looking like they will pupate. Here in S. florida we get a few generations per year though. I am sure there will be more, I find eggs and small ones all the time. Can I pm you? Perhaps we can work something out.

 

[Ntsees]

I wouldn't know the first thing about shipping live creatures, There are only 2 of the 4 and a half or maybe 5 inchers. My daughter is attached to them. We were thinking of raising them ourselves, once they start looking like they will pupate. Here in S. florida we get a few generations per year though. I am sure there will be more, I find eggs and small ones all the time. Can I pm you? Perhaps we can work something out.

They just don't look appealing to me that's all.

If you plan to raise them, I recommend you keep them in a container. At 4 or 5 inches, they are very close to pupating. The thing is that before they pupate, in my experience at least, they bury themselves in the ground and that might make it difficult to find them. They are not like Monarchs that pupate on the stem of plants.

 

[Rick]

I like what they turn into, but I hate finding them on my plants. THey can do alot of damage. When I find them my turtles enjoy eating them.

 

[LauraMG]

I just looked up a picture of a tobacco hornworm, and they look terrifying!

 

[hibiscusmile]

Well they are just awful ugly beautiful worms, I hate em and yea, seeing the white maggots lined up on them is just awful!

 

[LauraMG]

Well they are just awful ugly beautiful worms, I hate em and yea, seeing the white maggots lined up on them is just awful!

Maggots?!?! I'm out now. I'm having trouble with my blatta lateralis I just got. I don't do maggots!

 

[lancaster1313]

I read on a few sites that when they are ready to pupate, you can see thier hearts beating in thier backs. I looked at them yesterday evening and saw no pulsating at all. This morning I went out to check, and they are gone! :angry: I even gently checked the soil around the plant that they were on. Next time I find some of those monsters, I will be bringing them in. They were so beautiful. On thier white stripes, there was a lavender color. I am so bummed. I think that the birds took them.

 

[lancaster1313]

At least we have memories. :wub: Please don't freak out, Hibiscusmile! :lol:

 

[Peter Clausen]

Likebugs, I appreciate your consistent appreciation for these caterpillars. Nothing in physical nature is ugly (but that's another topic, I suppose). Your daughter and her planet of amazing lifeforms are both lucky to have a mother like you! Native bugs on native plants. It's right and good. Tell your daughter to plant more sunflowers!

 

[hibiscusmile]

That's it, encourage them Peter

They are beautiful in their own way, theres a song like that, isn't there! Everything is beautiful in it's own way, like the stary sunshine, on a cloudy day... sign it Phil!...... al together now..."Everything Is Beautiful"

(As recorded by Ray Stevens)

R. STEVENS

("Jesus loves the little children

All the little children of the world

Red and yellow, black and white

They are precious in his sight

Jesus loves the little children of the world")

Everything is beautiful in its own way

Like a starry summer night

Or a snow covered winter's day

And everybody's beautiful in their own way

And under God's heaven

The world's gonna find a way.

There is none so blind as he who will not see

We must not close our minds

We must let our thoughts be free

For every hour that passes by

You know the world gets a little bit older

It's time to realize that beauty lies

In the eyes of the beholder.

And everything is beautiful in its own way

Like a starry summer night

Or a snow covered winter's day

Ah, sing it children

Everybody's beautiful, oh in their own way

Under God's heaven the world's gonna find a way.

We shouldn't care about the length of his hair

Or the color of the skin

Don't worry about what shows from without

But the love that lives within

And we gonna get it all together now

Everything gonna work out fine

Just take a little time to look on the good side my friend

And straighten it out in your mind

And everything is beautiful in its own way

Like a starry summer night

Or a snow covered winter's day, ah sing it children

Everybody's beautiful, oh in their own way

Under God's heaven

The world's gonna find a way.

One more time

Everything is beautiful in its own way

Oh, in its own way

Like a starry summer night, or a snow covered winter's day.

© Copyright 1970 by Ahab Music Co.

- HIT PARADER 1971 YEARBOOK.

 

[hibiscusmile]

here is what it looks like, horrible, but pretty, yea pretty for Peter

http://organicgardensite.com/bugs-harmful/tomato-horn-worms/

 

[lancaster1313]

"Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder", I have heard said a few times. I use it alot lately. :lol:

 

[lancaster1313]

Likebugs, I appreciate your consistent appreciation for these caterpillars. Nothing in physical nature is ugly (but that's another topic, I suppose). Your daughter and her planet of amazing lifeforms are both lucky to have a mother like you! Native bugs on native plants. It's right and good. Tell your daughter to plant more sunflowers!

Thanks for the encouraging post :blush: , I keep many kinds of local inverts and plants for myself and my daughter, we can't go anywhere without scoping the place out for critters. :lol:

 

[Zephyr]

One of my favorite insects for sure!

I just started breeding these (feeders and pets, tehe!) The moths are cool to handle and when you first see their proboscis fully extended it's a true "OMG WTH IS THAT?!" moment.

The 'pillars are fun to poke when they're pre-pupal too; they look like big boogers thrashing around. lol