The boys and I were picking the last of our red tomatoes the other day. The nights are so cool that I don’t think there will be many turning red now. When we were picking, we found several tomato hornworms.
Notice that it look slike it was rolled in white rice….this hornworm has been parasitized!! This is a good thing! It really grossed me out concerned me many years ago when I first saw this. A friend, who is an entomologist, explained to me that parasitic wasps (good things to have) had laid their eggs on this hornworm. Their larvae feed on the hornworm so the hornworm dies and your population of parasitic wasps increase each year.
You can see that some of the egg cases are empty. Also a good thing.
So, if you find this in your tomato patch, know that you are blessed and leave it alone. Next year you will have more beneficial insects to help you battle the bad bugs in your garden!
NOTE: All photographs were taken by Elijah, my budding 9 year old photographer!
The Essential Herbalist 
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