Today I'm spending quite a bit of time with my tomato plants, I pick a bunch of tomatoes, but when I encounter a horned tomato worm covered with white cocoons, I'm terrified. I use a stick to remove the caterpillar, and only when it lands in the container of soapy water, do I realize that the caterpillar is already dead.
A few plants down, I find another horned tomato worm with a coat of cocoons. I'm still nervous... have no idea what the worm can do. Is it poisonous; can it shoot the cocoons into
my fingers?
Mustering the best of my courage, I pry the worm from the tomato stem, and the worm plops into the soapy water, along with its entourage. I learn later at Gardengrapevine.com (http://www.gardengrapevine.com/HornWormBraconidWasp.html) that an adult Braconid Wasp has laid larvae inside the horned tomato worm.
Over one hundred wasps will hatch from the back of the tomato worm. Within minutes, they will seek out new hosts to continue the cycle. Gardengrapevine.com recommends that one leave the worm, with its cocoons, undisturbed to allow the cocoons to develop and increase the predator population.
I wonder if thats where Alien the movie got its inspiration??? From those wasps.. Ewwwwww.
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