Summer 2024
Tomato hornworm
| About |
Photo: UC ANR
|
| 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 |