09/03/2026
From pest to pollinator…
Nearly a month ago we found a few hornworms feasting on our tomato plants. Most became a nutritious snack for our chickens, but this one was spared for science.
We placed it in a 10 gallon fish tank filled with dirt and rocks and sticks along with some freshly pruned tomato cuttings, and let it be.
The next day, the hornworm was gone, but there was a small indentation filled with loose dirt that looked like something had dug under.
Fun fact: hornworm caterpillars don’t make chrysalises, they burrow underground!
Each day for nearly a month we went to see if anything had happened. And each day…nothing.
Until today. It took a keen eye to spot her with her dark patterned wings blending in with her little environment! She seems to be a Carolina Sphinx Moth, which comes from a to***co hornworm, which is distinct from the tomato hornworm.
We took a few minutes to observe and then released her. She wasn’t in a big hurry, and since we don’t have many plants flowering at the moment, we offered her some sugar water, which she eventually accepted.
Although the pupal stage is a pest for tomatoes, the adult stage is an excellent pollinating friend!
We’ll let her be to fly free 🦋
