Worm

[6rtury]

Two pictures below. One show a parasitized worm, which is exactly what I saw. Mine were about 6-inches in length and very fat. They are difficult to see because they are the exact green color of the plant. I just found this:

The best control is "natural enemies, such as the parasitic wasp that lays its eggs on the hornworm's back, are common.  If found, such worms should be left in the garden so the emerging wasps can parasitize other hornworms. " The second picture shows the white wasp egg sacs on the worm's top side.

[writeone]

great photos. I keep my piggy back wasps in the garden but I pull it off the tomato plant and put it on one of the trees that I don't mind it munching. I don't know how long it takes to stop munching.

[movrshakr]

I am in favor of the natural control, but how do you know the wasps are going to show up, and if they do, will the eggs hatch before your tomatoes are decimated?

BT is an organism that is harmless to humans and animals but kill the worms when they ingest it by eating foliage where BT has been sprayed.

[baileyj]

Sorry, late to this post...
Are you serious.....6 inches !!!
I have found a few over the past few years but they were less than 2 inches long.
They are incredibly difficult to see and what alerted me was a decline in the plant...tomato
I have seen then with and without the white parasites...
I am so not an insect person....but it is a strange site when you see it.....also like Cushman commented they are very difficult to remove...
Judi

[kathy]

Whoa 6rtury:  Do you live near a nuclear power plant? The maximum size of a tomato or tobacco hornworm is just a bit over 3 inches. So either your ruler is off, or you might have a record breaker.