Tomato hornworm | UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

About	Often the largest caterpillars seen in vegetable gardens – up to four inches long. Horn or thorn at rear end. Adult moths have wingspan up to five inches.
Category	Insect
Signs/Symptoms	Hornworms feed on blossoms, leaves, and fruit. At high populations they can extensively defoliate plants and scar the fruit. Striping pattern makes them hard to spot despite their size. Large, black, or green droppings on the ground beneath tomato plants usually indicate the presence of hornworms.
Where	Hornworms feed on blossoms, leaves, and fruit. Entire leaves and small stems may be consumed. Large pieces from green fruit may also be chewed.
When	Damage by hornworm larvae is usually most common in midsummer, but there may also be a small population peak of larvae in the late summer.
Prevent	Rototilling after harvest destroys pupae in soil and prevents adults from developing.
Manage	Handpick or snip hornworms with shears. Natural enemies normally keep populations under control.
More Information	Learn more about tomato hornworms