I see other people post these images all the time but it's the first time I've had the joy of dealing with one myself. Absolute nightmare stuff for me knowing what it is. honestly would have missed it completely if the parasitic wasp already weren't present. And then I'm just supposed to let it "live" like this? None of this sits right, but it be what it be guess. When all you want is some fresh homegrown tomatoes and end up with a side of nightmares
by PsychologicalGur4040
15 Comments
Unrelated: is this not more proof we live in Prison Planet? The hornworm will be eaten by the wasps. What a horrible death. Nature is metal and yeah stuff of nightmares. We had the misfortune of having one of these last year. I cried after we dispatched it. They are kind of cute, but they can do quick work of your tomato plants in one night. I should have taken him on the stem outside the fence so one of my forest animals would have eaten him. Dispatched by nature, not us. The moth is spectacular.
Atleast you didnt ask what it was 😂
Yesterday I moved all my tobacco hornworms (3) to one of the other potato plants that didn’t seem to be doing very well. I can still go to the store
and buy potatoes- they can’t, and neither can whatever eats them. They exist for a reason and I don’t feel like I have the right to deprive them of their only food. I always just plant extra for nature and it has always worked out positively for me. I’ve been dreading finding one with the parasitic wasps. That would just hurt my heart too much. It may sound silly, but it’s how I feel and that’s OK. Nature is cruel enough. I don’t need to add to it.
I remove them and crush them with a brick shooting their green blood all over my patio to warn the rest to stay away…
I just whipped those into my neighbors yard. We hate each other. It’s a symbiotic relationship.
I’m scared to ask what that is o_O
Score!
Huh? Let it live? I always pluck tomato hornworms and either throw them in the street for bird or in the compost. These are a big foe.
You love to see it!
I know it’s kind of nightmare-ish, but it’s just nature, and in fact the tomato plant may have released a pheromone to attract the parasitic wasp in response to the caterpillar eating it. Read about plants doing this in The Light Eaters, which is a marvelous book on “plant intelligence.” So even if you want to live and let live, the tomato plant may have summoned the executioner in this case, which I think is just so fascinating.
Sympathise with you, OP.
– an overly sensitive gardener
Leave it be. Those wasps are taking care of the issue and when they hatch they will pay it forward.
I had them last year. 7 on one plant, one on another. I’m legit gagging at the thought of them.
https://preview.redd.it/0sonwr3va9hf1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d8df4547fc526c969a833eb5e2250beaccbd9de0
I feel that!
Trypophobia warning missing. 😵💫😵💫