tomato hornworm

noun

1. the larva of a hawk moth, Manduca quinquemaculata, having a black, hornlike structure at the rear, that feeds on the leaves of tomato, potato, and other plants of the nightshade family.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tomato hornworm¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Garden pests are often highly specialized and named after their favorite food: cabbageworm, corn earworm, tomato hornworm, Colorado potato beetle, cucumber beetle, pea weevil, pepper maggot, Mexican bean beetle, and so on.

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This appearance of the tomato hornworm was followed by terrifying reports of fatal poisonings and aggressive behavior toward people.

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If I want to see what sort of creature the tomato hornworm becomes, I turn to Page 147 and find a large and handsome moth, the five-spotted hawk moth.

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The Eastern tent caterpillar, the tomato hornworm, the gypsy moth caterpillar, the fall cankerworm — these pests belong to the darker side of the order Lepidoptera.

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You can also encourage predatory insects such as the parasitic wasp that will eat the tomato hornworm.

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