tomato hornworms

I found a green tomato hornworm on my tomato bushes. Not a surprise this time of year. But this one was different, it had stuck to it's back small white rice shaped things, in rows. What are these things stuck to it? What can I do about these things beside hand picking them off (yucky, yucky YUCKY!!!!) and squishing them?
Jan

Jan, believe it or not your hornworm is doomed to a slow death! Those things on the back of it were the larvae of the parasitic wasp. The larvae 'dine' on the hornworms and the larvae are the 'good guys'. If you have not killed the hornworm you may want to think about leaving it alone. What the world needs are more parasitic wasps and less hornworms!! Happy Gardening! Lisa

Thanks Lisa
Thats great news! No, I haven't killed it yet. I have two boys and they are watching the bug in a jar to see what happens. Their guess was that they were eggs of the hornworm. Again thanks for the info.
Jan

Note on the hornworm. It is the larval stage (i.e. catapiller) of a sphinx moth. There are several types of hornworms-tobacco, tomato to name 2 of them. Hornworms because they are larva cannot lay eggs or do any other type of sexual reproduction but eventually they will make a coccoon, if they are not infected by Braconid wasps.

What should happen to the hornworm in question is the wasp larva will eat it from the inside out and soon it will be a deflated bag o' worm. I would suggest releasing it and finding another as you want the wasps in your garden not dead in a jar.

Jan, sorry for the wrong info..i couldn't think of the name of the wasp. My bad!! Sorry, Lisa

The hornworm was released. Hopefully the world now has a few more parasitic wasps. This has been a good learning experience for my boys and me. Thank you both!!!
Jan

FYI from Bill Ochlke, Curator for Moths of North America..

There are 772 species of hornworm. LOL..

Tomato and tobacco are the worst, In the 4th instar stage
they consume 200 sq in of foliage.

Byron

Interesting info:

Giant Caterpillars (including the tomato hornworm): http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ohioline/hyg-fact/2000/2015.html

Nuisance Wasps (including the braconid wasp): http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ohioline/hyg-fact/2000/2113.html

I say, the braconid wasp can be as much of a nuisance as it wants as long as it keeps the hornworms at bay. ;o)

Kimberley

Thanks for the link, I've booked marked it for further information. My sentiments exactly on the parasitic wasps.
I trying to learn more about good bugs and bad bugs. In my area we're having an encephaletis scare. To combat the encephaletis carring mosquitoes, the county is spraying alot. Unfortunately, the spray kills more than just the mosquitos. Many beneficial bugs are killed also. I would like not to add to the problem, but I hate to pick a beautiful tomato and find a bug hole in the other side.
Jan

A better website I think

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/moths/thumb/thumb.htm

Look at Ichneumons wasp at the following site.



http://eny3005.ifas.ufl.edu/lab1/Hymenoptera/Hymenoptera.htm

Byron