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tobacco hornworm
Manduca sexta
35.8485, -81.4959
Field Notes
Description:
This is the caterpillar of the Carolina Sphinx Moth and is a common garden pest. The white cocoons are from the braconid wasp, Cotesia congregatus, which parasitizes the caterpillar.
Habitat:
Suburban garden
Notes:
A student brought this to lab today wanting to know if she should be concerned about it eating her tomatoes. Interestingly, we found several sources that recommend leaving the parasitized caterpillars in the garden as that conserves the wasps which will seek out other hornworms on which to lay their eggs.
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