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Noticed two tomato hornworms happily feeding on a tomato plant. Tomato hornworms metamorphose into Luna Hawk Moths that delight the eye as well as pollinate various domestic and wild fruiting plants. After several days of believing that deer munched on his tomato leaves, I pointed out a large and a small hornworm (a male and a female?) who curled into defense mode by exposing what looked like two rows of teeth, which they weren't teeth but white on one green end to resemble teeth. Before I could ask to spare them, my hubby grabbed the worms and dispatched them under his big foot. Is it wrong or potentially destructive to sacrifice just one tomato plant so that we (and Nature) can enjoy the Luna Hawk Moth and its benefits?
I was small-truckfarm born and bred. Each year out of 3 to 5 thousand tomato plants, Dad always allowed several to nourish the hornworms. There were always Hawk Moths to delight the eye as well as we always harvested ample, healthy fruits on our orchard trees, that I believe were due in part to the Hawk Moth. Where do you draw the line at 'destructive' behavior? I'm not talking about bean beetles that can decimate entire fields of beans, these are controllable creatures whose last stage of life is beneficial to mankind.
i'm not sure how this relates to Greenland, but i have been "rescuing" a big brown-striped hornworm from my two kittens. i have relocated it to the field outside the yard three times. thank you for reminding me that it will turn into a huge, magical moth. the raccoons control them enuf. i will continue to rescue them. thanks, Zsu! =^..^= =^..^=
