white box picture of tobacco hornworm

[Ecooper]

Today I posted a few white box pictures of tobacco hornworms (Manduca sexta) on my blog. Apparently this species ranges into British Columbia, but I’ve never found one. And there certainly wouldn’t be any available in the wild locally at this time of year. I bought these specimens in a local per shop. I was there to pick up some crickets (mantid and scorpion food) and saw that they had some of these caterpillars for sale. Needless to say, I purchased some to play with.

These are fun critters, not that they do much—they are really just big fat eating machines. Hopefully they will thrive and pupate…eventually providing me with some adult tobacco hornworm moths to photograph.

Cheers,
EC
macrocritters
hornworm whitebox copyright Ernie Cooper 2012_filtered by ernie.cooper, on Flickr

[gotrocks]

I enjoy viewing your pictures. This one looks similar to the worms we pick off our tomato plants. Are they cousins or is this the same worm?

[adanac]

My grandfather and others of his generation in my family were tobacco farms in Ontario. As the eldest grandson I was afforded all sorts of special treatment on the farm - eating with the men, driving the tractor whenever I wanted to (provided there was purpose to it of course). Loved it. Never smoked a day in my life but loved life on the farm.

Didn't much enjoy the tobacco hornworm though. ;)

They are about as ugly as I remember them!

[Ecooper]

I enjoy viewing your pictures. This one looks similar to the worms we pick off our tomato plants. Are they cousins or is this the same worm?

Thank you!

I expect that would be the closely related tomato hornworm Manduca quinquemaculata.

Cheers,
EC

[Ecooper]

My grandfather and others of his generation in my family were tobacco farms in Ontario. As the eldest grandson I was afforded all sorts of special treatment on the farm - eating with the men, driving the tractor whenever I wanted to (provided there was purpose to it of course). Loved it. Never smoked a day in my life but loved life on the farm.

Didn't much enjoy the tobacco hornworm though. ;)

They are about as ugly as I remember them!

LOL! I think they are rather cute!

EC