Top Photo: Tobacco hornworm on tomato plant. The tobacco hornworm, or Carolina sphinx, and tomato hornworm, or five-spotted hawk moth, both use nightshade as a food plant including tomato and tobacco plants. And, they’re both subjected to attack by a tiny parasitoid wasp called a braconid wasp. With the help of her ovipositor, the minuscule wasp lays eggs just under the skin of the caterpillar. The eggs hatch and the larvae begin eating the caterpillar from within. When the timeRead more
Posts tagged: #color morph
Emeralds, Tigers, Titans, and Nymphs
Top Photo: Male eastern tiger swallowtail. The flowers in the photo are black-eyed Susan. But, notice where the arrow points. It’s pointing at what appears to be debris on the disc of one of the flowers. The debris is actually a caterpillar, a camouflaged looper, the larva of a small moth. Still doesn’t look like a caterpillar? These small caterpillars attach flower and plant parts to themselves in order to disappear into the flower. In truth, I’m notRead more