I went out to my garden today to pick tomatoes. As I approach, I notice one of the cages had fell over. I put my bucket down and went to stand the cage and plant back up. After adjusting cage, I reach in to grab a ripe tomato and spotted these little white things on what I thought was a limb. But after closer inspection, I realized it was a large worm.
I immediately had to find out what kind it was. I found that this is a tomato horn worm. Thinking that all those white things hanging on it are it's own larvae, I was suprised to find out what they are. They are eggs from the braconid wasp. The wasp lay their eggs on the worm and as the pupae emerge, they feed on the worm, killing it.
I'm feeling a little sorry for the worm, but I really don't like him destroying my tomato plants. Never thought I would appreciate a wasp...lol.
