Species guide
Tomato hornworm
HarmlessManduca quinquemaculatus
How to recognise it
A large green caterpillar up to 10 cm with a row of white V-shaped marks along each side and a single dark horn at the rear end.
Is it dangerous?
Harmless to handle — the 'horn' is soft and can't sting. It can strip tomato and pepper plants very quickly, though.
Commonly confused with
- Tobacco hornworm — red horn and white diagonal stripes (not V's)
What to do
Pick them off by hand. Leave any covered in small white rice-like cocoons — those are parasitic wasps that will control more hornworms.
Recorded 6,293 times in the wild worldwide.
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