calling all gardeners

Help! I need help identifying this catepillar that I keep finding on my purple double flowering datura. It eats ALL the leaves. If anyone knows exactly what this is, how do I keep them away?

http://[IMG]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h257/sophiec_1969/DSCN0384.jpg[/IMG]

http://[IMG]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h257/sophiec_1969/DSCN0383.jpg[/IMG]

a couple of close-ups....

http://[IMG]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h257/sophiec_1969/DSCN0387.jpg[/IMG]

http://[IMG]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h257/sophiec_1969/DSCN0386.jpg[/IMG]

Tomato or tobacco hornworm.
Looks like the tobacco worm from your pic.

Tobacco worm morphs into Sphinx moth, tomato worm morphs into 5 spotted hawk moth.

100% pest species.

No way to keep them away really.
When I gardened, I would simply check for them daily, remove them by hand and kill them.

That's about all you can do, those things are nasty!

Hey, you should join us over at www.verdantforums.com!

I too thought of hornworm right away-I looked in my insect bible which tells me it is a Tobacco hornworm form. I never see anything munch on my datura (which is an annual up here in WI) "Tobacco hornworm (manduca sexta) also known as Carolina Sphinx moth. The red "horn" indicates a tobacco hornworm vs a tomato hornworm having ablack "horn". There are predatory insects but handpicking is best.

Good Lord Almighty!!!! Is that Godzilla's baby????? That's a caterpillar????

I'd say hornworm. And listen to Neet - Verdant Forums is great for all gardeners, beginners to experts, good and not-so-good! We welcome everyone!

OK.....so yesterday I worked in my yard from about 9:30 am to 6:00 pm. I came across another one of those catepillars as I was bagging yard waste. This one was much more interesting looking due to the colors. Even though these things are destructive, they are also beautiful.

http://[IMG]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h257/sophiec_1969/DSCN0430.jpg[/IMG]

http://[IMG]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h257/sophiec_1969/DSCN0428.jpg[/IMG]

http://[IMG]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h257/sophiec_1969/DSCN0434.jpg[/IMG]
check out the little knobby tail on this one.......
http://[IMG]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h257/sophiec_1969/DSCN0429.jpg[/IMG]
look at its little suction cup feet...........
http://[IMG]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h257/sophiec_1969/DSCN0432.jpg[/IMG]
there is the destructive mouth and claws.....
http://[IMG]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h257/sophiec_1969/DSCN0431.jpg[/IMG]

Originally Posted by neetanddave

That's about all you can do, those things are nasty!

Hey, you should join us over at www.verdantforums.com!

Click to expand...

neetanddave.......hmmmmm I don't know. I can hardly find the time to get on the cat site let alone another forum.

All I have to say is....

I loathe.... HATE... ANYTHING in the worm or caterpiller family! They scare the beejeesus outta me!
I will, and have picked up a snake before I will a worm or caterpiller.
When I lived in Ky, we had a tobacco field that I would help house... we would find "baccer" worms like that ALL the time.. My neighbor would chase me around with them until I literally was crying from fear... Now, I have 2 boys who think it's hilarious to bring me inch worms and caterpillers... just to watch mom

That's a cool looking cattepillar!

Originally Posted by GailC

The red "horn" indicates a tobacco hornworm vs a tomato hornworm having ablack "horn".

Click to expand...

Gail.......what does the green "horn" indicate in the latest pics I posted of a different one? I'm assuming by "horn" you mean that little thing that I call a tail.....