white box picture of tobacco hornworm

[EWTC]

Today I posted a few white box pictures of tobacco hornworms (Manduca sexta) on my blog. Apparently this species ranges into British Columbia, but I’ve never found one. And there certainly wouldn’t be any available in the wild locally at this time of year. I bought these specimens in a local per shop. I was there to pick up some crickets (mantid and scorpion food) and saw that they had some of these caterpillars for sale. Needless to say, I purchased some to play with.

These are fun critters, not that they do much—they are really just big fat eating machines. Hopefully they will thrive and pupate…eventually providing me with some adult tobacco hornworm moths to photograph.

Cheers,
EC
www.macrocritters.wordpress.com
hornworm whitebox copyright Ernie Cooper 2012_filtered by ernie.cooper, on Flickr

[Da Plant Man]

Those things are terrible and beautiful. They ruin tons of crops every year and I have no doubt you will keep it contained, but just so you know.

Excellent photo. I need to get a good macro lens and build a whitebox. I love these types of shots and want to do something similar but with plants.

[DanSanDiego]

Very cool pictures! I must say that I am surprised that you could buy something like that in a pet store. Even our local pet stores do not have that kind of "depth" of inventory.
Here in San Diego, ca they show up only on tomato's. Even though I do a lot of gardening, last year was the first time I ever saw little ones. About 1 1/4ins long. I usually find the adults 3 1/2 to 4in long. hehehe They get squished here!

[Da Plant Man]

And when you do squish them, their 'guts and blood' are all green.

[hydrophyte]

Great picture!

Those things eat like crazy. My mom had a potted tomato plant on the porch last summer and the whole thing was destroyed almost overnight by a couple of Manduca caterpillars.

[zzrguy]

Anything eat them like fish or frogs.

[daylily]

I never kill the tomato worm on my tomatoes because they always have white little rice-like eggs on them. A parasitic wasp lays them, and they will kill the caterpillar. So - try never to kill one that has the eggs on it. When I find them, I take them off the tomato and put them on a plant in the edge of the woods.

Neat shot!!!

[GMYukonon24s]

Nice pic!

[EWTC]

Originally Posted by GMYukonon24s

Nice pic!

Originally Posted by daylily

I never kill the tomato worm on my tomatoes because they always have white little rice-like eggs on them. A parasitic wasp lays them, and they will kill the caterpillar. So - try never to kill one that has the eggs on it. When I find them, I take them off the tomato and put them on a plant in the edge of the woods.

Neat shot!!!

Originally Posted by hydrophyte

Great picture!

Those things eat like crazy. My mom had a potted tomato plant on the porch last summer and the whole thing was destroyed almost overnight by a couple of Manduca caterpillars.

Thank you!
EC
www.macrocritters.wordpress.com

[EWTC]

Originally Posted by DanSanDiego

Very cool pictures! I must say that I am surprised that you could buy something like that in a pet store. Even our local pet stores do not have that kind of "depth" of inventory.
Here in San Diego, ca they show up only on tomato's. Even though I do a lot of gardening, last year was the first time I ever saw little ones. About 1 1/4ins long. I usually find the adults 3 1/2 to 4in long. hehehe They get squished here!

Thanks! They are actually elling them as live pet food along with crickets, mealworms and silk worms. I assume someone local is culturing them.

Cheers,
EC
www.macrocritters.wordpress.com

[EWTC]

Originally Posted by zzrguy

Anything eat them like fish or frogs.

I believe the wild ones are toxic because of the plants they feed on. But those raised in captivity on wheat germ make good prey items for critters. That is what the pet shop I bought them at was selling them for.

EC
www.macrocritters.wordpress.com