Kitchen Garden Forum

My grandaughter in America posted on Facebook she had Hornworms on her tomatoes. Large green caterpillars. This was not a pest I had ever heard of so did a Google on them. Sound nasty.
Another case of the grandchildren teaching the grandparents.
Beryl.

'Tomato Hornworm, Manduca quinquemaculata. However, the tomato hornworm and tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta, are often confused with each other. They are very similar in appearance and both attack members of the Solanaceae family. The tomato hornworm is three to four inches long at full size (likely to be the biggest caterpillar we see in our gardens) and green in color with white v-shaped marks along its sides. A black "horn" projects from the rear of the caterpillar. Tobacco hornworms have diagonal white stripes and a red "horn."

My miniature peaches got munched by a caterpillar and it was in the greenhouse, wasn't expecting that! Will watch out for those little B***gers next year as they ripen! do we get hornworm in UK?

Hi NB,

Hormworm is just the American name for a hawk moth caterpillar owing to the horn shaped appendage at the end of the caterpillar's body.

Wish I had some on my tomatoes
All I ever get is Tomato Moth and Silver Y Moth

Thanks PJ for giving them our name. I now know what we are talking about. Not sure I would want them on my tomatoes though. If my granddaughter is right they can destroy a plant over night.

Berryl.