July 18th Inside Out radio show questions included request for information on the Tomato Hornworm so I have included some information and links about this common garden visitor and this picture. Watch for information on bagworms next post!
This week Jim announced we are starting a new segment "Dah Bug Of The Week" during which Don (Rolling Ridge) will call in and discuss control methods. This week they discussed Bagworms. So for those who missed this week and want to play next week- Call in next week with this for your answer as to what was "bugging" Jim McMillian!
This home gardener headache is native to the United states, and is commonly found in Missouri. This insect is not a major problem for commercial farms . However the larvae is a frequent problem in home gardens.
Tomato hornworms feed only on the nightshade family which includes tomato plants and all its its relatives including these easy Missouri veggies: eggplant, pepper, and potato.
There are many " weeds" that belong to the nightshade family also including: horsenettle, jimsonweed.
Check weekly for this common garden visitor as 1- 2 generations are reported for this insect each year in Missouri the upper Midwest. Frequent viewing of the garden allows for hand picking as the prefered organic method of control. Many chemicals and even Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) can kill any butterfly larva in the garden. This insect is parasitized by a number of insects. One of the most common is a small braconid wasp. Larva 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. If such projections are seen, leave the infected hornworms in the garden. The wasps will kill the hornworms when
they emerge from the cocoons and will seek out other hornworms to parasitize.
they emerge from the cocoons and will seek out other hornworms to parasitize.
Listeners- Today's featured insect discussed by Don and Jim was BAGWORM - watch for details on this bug in future posts!
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