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Tomato Horn Worm

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34.6381, -86.488

Field Notes

Description:

Looks like a caterpillar but is a horn worm that when matures will burrow down in the soil and comes out a moth!

Habitat:

Tomato vines

Species ID Suggestions

Tobacco Hornworm

Manduca sexta

Reference Link
Jacob Gorneau
1

Comments (2)
Jacob Gorneau
Great spotting! This is a hornworm, but the name is misleading as they are caterpillars. This is not the Tomato Hornworm, Manduca quinquemaculata, but rather M. sexta, the Tobacco Hornworm. Again, the names are misleading as they both feed on tobacco and tomato. M. sexta has a red drooping horn, as shown here, and M. quinquemaculata has a straight bluish black horn.
Photographed
PublishedAugust 28, 2011

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