Tomato Hornworm

Scientific name: Manduca quinquemaculata (Haworth)
(Lepidoptera: Sphingidae)

Facts: Tomato hornworms are large (some as long as 4 inches), green caterpillars with diagonal white bars on the sides and a slender horn at the tip of the body. Adults have long, sucking tubes for mouthparts, while larvae have chewing mouthparts. Larvae and adults often are confused with the tobacco hornworm it closely resembles. The tobacco hornworm feeds on the same plants and sometimes is more common than the tomato hornworm.

Photo credit: Extension Entomology, Texas A&M University