Tomato fruit worm? - Ask Extension
I've found several green caterpillars, approx 2"-3" in length, on my tomato plants. These are NOT immature hornworms.
Poop is black but not grenade-...
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Tomato fruit worm? #278460
Asked September 15, 2015, 6:00 PM EDT
I've found several green caterpillars, approx 2"-3" in length, on my tomato plants. These are NOT immature hornworms.
Poop is black but not grenade-shaped and the caterpillar itself has no horns, no horizontal striping, etc.
They seem to have burrowed into tomatoes but also seem to have woven cocoons. (See photo.) my impression was that fruit worms drop to the ground to burrow, rather than make cocoons, which is the reason for my question.
Middlesex County Massachusetts
Expert Response
Hello,
Tomato Fruit Worms will bore into tomato fruit to feed. They do pupate in the ground and do not make the cocoon which is in your photo. I think you have two different insects. The one in the fruit is probably the tomato fruit worm. The one on the leave looks like the cocoon of the cabbage worm. Cabbage worms will pupate on non-host leaves. This could be the case.
Regards,
Carol Quish
Tomato Fruit Worms will bore into tomato fruit to feed. They do pupate in the ground and do not make the cocoon which is in your photo. I think you have two different insects. The one in the fruit is probably the tomato fruit worm. The one on the leave looks like the cocoon of the cabbage worm. Cabbage worms will pupate on non-host leaves. This could be the case.
Regards,
Carol Quish
Thank you.