| Author | Content |
Pagancat
(Sheryl) Gainesboro, TN
(Zone 6b)
July 23, 2009
07:47 PM Post #6857008
| I know that this is a hornworm, or whatever they call them, but what the heck is all the white stuff on it? Is it eggs from the hornworm or something else?
Any info appreciated!
Sheryl
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
July 23, 2009
08:48 PM Post #6857210
| Looks like parasitic wasp larvae have found the worm and are in the process of killing him. |
HoneybeeNC
Charlotte, NC
(Zone 7b)
July 24, 2009
11:50 AM Post #6859452
| Yup, I think stephanie is correct. I would suggest you leave this particular hornworm alone so the wasp's larvae can eat it and then you'll have more wasps to to lay eggs on more hornworms.
Ain't nature grand? |
lvyao
Katy, TX
July 24, 2009
12:05 PM Post #6859534
| I wondering is there anything which would feed on stink bugs? |
Pagancat
(Sheryl) Gainesboro, TN
(Zone 6b)
July 24, 2009
01:38 PM Post #6859884
| Very cool, I thought that was what was happening but I had never seen it before.
Of course now I have to ask, do these wasps go after humans? We have a an incredible variety of wasps (hornets? I don't know the diff) with both mud and paper nests. It never used to bother me, but I seem to have become much more reactive to stings over the past few years - to the point where I ended up with steroid treatment, last sting, and am now the proud owner of an epi-pen. I prefer the live-and-let-live model, but ...
Sorry, Ivyao, no idea! |
kbumgar
Bend, OR
(Zone 5a)
July 24, 2009
03:45 PM Post #6860366
| Hi Ivyao,
It seems that some stink bugs are herbivores and some are actually predators that eat other bugs. Do you know what type of stink bug you have? Are they causing significant damage to your vegetables?
If you are certain that you have a plant-eating stink bug problem, the most common predator to eat your stink bug is called, appropriately, an assassin bug. I am not sure where you would acquire some of these beauties. I would think that three or four in a large garden would be plenty to keep the stink bug population down.
Here are some articles that you may find of interest:
About stink bugs: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/bugs/sti...
Houston Chronicle stink bug article: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/gardening/5213322.html
GardenWeb article: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tompests/msg04123918...
Hope this helps!
|
lvyao
Katy, TX
July 24, 2009
04:24 PM Post #6860498
| Hi, Kbumgar,
I am sure mine are the plant-eating one. They gather on my tomato and luffa squash, making ugly dry spots on the fruit. Thanks for the articles, after reading them, I think the organic thumb and fingers would be the best weapon against them. Some of them mentioned plant sunflower or millet as a trap plant, maybe I will try this next year. |
stephanietx
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
July 24, 2009
07:09 PM Post #6861097
| The parasitic wasps that are doing in your hornworm will not go after humans. In fact, they're so tiny, you hardly even notice them. They will destroy lots of bad bugs and worms for you, though.
|
Pagancat
(Sheryl) Gainesboro, TN
(Zone 6b)
July 24, 2009
09:00 PM Post #6861572
| That's great news, thanks much! |
feldon30
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)
July 26, 2009
06:28 PM Post #6868532
| Stink bugs and Leaf-footed bugs both attack tomatoes. They are almost always found in large groups of insects.
Assassin bugs which look a bit like Leaf-footed bugs but without the extra leaf shapes on the legs. They eat other bugs. They are almost always found solo. |
venice62
Indianapolis, IN
(Zone 5b)
July 29, 2009
11:05 AM Post #6879867
| Here is some great information I found on another site.
Tomato hornworm larvae are also parasitized by a number of insects. One of the most common is a small braconid wasp, Cotesia congregatus. Larvae that hatch from wasp eggs laid on the hornworm feed on the inside of the hornworm until the wasp is ready to pupate. The cocoons appear as white projections protruding from the hornworms body (see photo, left). If such projections are observed, the hornworms should be left in the garden to conserve the beneficial parasitoids. The wasps will kill the hornworms when they emerge from the cocoons and will seek out other hornworms to parasitize. |
Pagancat
(Sheryl) Gainesboro, TN
(Zone 6b)
July 29, 2009
12:19 PM Post #6880233
| Excellent, thanks! Did their picture look like mine? I wish I had a picture of the wasps. |
venice62
Indianapolis, IN
(Zone 5b)
July 29, 2009
03:09 PM Post #6880918
| The site below shows a wasp coming from an egg.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/Galveston/beneficials/ben...
Hope this helps.
Carol |
venice62
Indianapolis, IN
(Zone 5b)
July 29, 2009
03:12 PM Post #6880927
| Sorry but the whole site name didn't get copied over. Try this one!
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/Galveston/beneficials/ben... |
Gymgirl
SE Houston (Hobby), TX
(Zone 9a)
July 29, 2009
03:58 PM Post #6881120
| "Poor, poor, Harry..." |
Pagancat
(Sheryl) Gainesboro, TN
(Zone 6b)
July 29, 2009
08:50 PM Post #6882522
| Great link, Carol, thanks! I'm almost glad to have had the hornworm, just to now have the wasps. I had a similar experience earlier this year with cucumber beetles - thought they were going to decimate my crop, but those armor plated looking bugs (I know the name, I just am blank at the moment) came in and chowed 'em down. One vote for not using pesticides! |
HoneybeeNC
Charlotte, NC
(Zone 7b)
July 31, 2009
11:52 AM Post #6889496
| I didn't see any info regarding what adult braconid wasps eat. I see lots of small wasp/bee looking insects working the carrot blossoms. Do they eat pollen/nectar?
I have put-up two "Mason Bee" nests - but other small native bees use the nests. I haven't seen Mason Bees here for a couple of years. |
Pagancat
(Sheryl) Gainesboro, TN
(Zone 6b)
July 31, 2009
07:11 PM Post #6891354
| Would you like a few of mine? My Salvia nemerosa "May NIght" draws them like *crazy*. My dog sits there and snaps at them all day, silly girl. |
