Old World Wyrm

This is a hornworm, found on one of our fresno pepper plants, which for years I thought was called a tomato worm.  I think because when I was very small I saw one on a tomato plant and it made a giant impression on me.  That is my dad's thumb in the photo; the monster was at least 4" long.  I think they're so pretty, but they are so destructive and can eat through dozens of leaves in a day.  Sometimes little eggs attach to the backs of these worms, laid by a braconid wasp. The larvae feed on and eventually munch the horny host to death.  They grow into beneficial wasps as adults and prey on many other pests. 

The dark side of gardening!

I feel myself making a seasonal transition, one in which I want to create more with my hands.  Between gardening, writing, housemomming and massaging, my hands are already taking a beating!  What do I have to lose?

Comments

[FlipFlop]

hello hornworm, hello pixie!
thank you for the little critter lesson.

so fun to get that creative fire stirring. not to worry: when creativity and action collide, they produce a magical healing balm that will keep those hardworking hands happy. seriously.

and love that look on miles' face in the post before this - looks like hes got the fire too!

xo
holly

[C]

I can't even tell you the screams of terror that would come out of my mouth if I saw one of those face to face. My skin crawls just reading.

This is like Grimm's Tales of Gardening.

[wendy]

back when i liven on sullivan st in nyc, i found a couple of huge green crawlies devouring my four o'clocks. they were so icky i put on gloves before cutting the stems they were nibbling. then i put them in a jar with holes in the lid with what was left of the plant and called the entomologist at the museum of natural history to find out the species and care. he said it was a sphinx moth larva (tomato horn worm) and said to put it in a tank with lots of soil and a ton of plants to eat. it would pupate underground then emerge as a sphinx moth and could then be released.

soo.....i called my friend fawn and asked if she'd like a project for her son dylan. the rest is history. after the worms pupated they stored them in the fridge to keep them cool spritzing them everyday to keep them moist. the watched them wiggle and change and eventually emerge....and the released them into the sky to complete the cycle.

ta dah! (as satchel would say)