Last summer I found three tomato hornworms feeding on my tomato vines. I was impressed with their bright colors and 4-inch length and wondered just what kind of a moth these turn into when they ...

While squirrels, deer and woodchucks are generally the most destructive consumers of garden tomatoes on Staten Island nowadays, the caterpillars known as hornworms pose a more subtle threat. The ...

If you grow tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, or other nightshades, there’s a good chance that you’ve encountered large green caterpillars feeding on your plants. Known as the tobacco or tomato hornworm, ...

My hopes for a new addition to the family have been officially shattered. However, I have gained a new friend with no strings attached. Last Sunday I had a great time with the neighborhood tabby. We ...

Sometimes it’s easy to get discouraged about the garden: Early in the spring there are seeds that don’t germinate well in cold, wet soil. Then the weeds germinate too well and try to take over the ...

I'm probably jinxing myself by writing this, but I have not seen a single hornworm on my tomatoes this year. Maybe this is one of the good things about planting your garden late. Or maybe they're out ...

We’re still saving water in many wacky and wonderful ways, but I must say I’m tired of this drought. I drive with the passenger side window down because the glass is so dirty the sunshine causes a ...

Several types of caterpillars damage tomato plants in Missouri, but the tomato hornworm and the tobacco hornworm usually get the most attention because of the prominent horn on the last segment of ...

Vegetable gardeners everywhere look forward to harvesting tomatoes each summer. But one pest that can ruin the fruits of your labor (literally) is the tomato hornworm. The caterpillars feast on the ...

Q: I saw lots of these bugs at the community garden this morning. They are massed on the open pods of a vine-like plant that has grown up the chain-link fence. The pods are about 3 inches long, ...

Q: We’ve had this guy around for the last few days. What is he? A luna moth perhaps? What should we look for in coming days? A: It’s a hornworm, Manduca rustica (aka rustic sphinx moth), to be precise ...

There is not much in nature that disgusts me. As a child, I used to leaf through nature guides, fascinated by all the critters with whom I shared the Earth. I couldn't bring myself to look at the ...