Tomato Worm

It may look good, almost beautiful with its 7 white stripes and 8 purple ‘eyes’ on the stripes, but it is deceivingly destructive. This green caterpillar comes with a flat head and a black mouth lined with razor sharp teeth. An endless eating machine, it can strip the tomato plant of all its leaves if left unhindered. Ten stubby feet equipped with suction cups secure its position on the plant. The curved, reddish horn on the tail has a sharp point that makes it look vicious but the horn is harmless.

Eventually the caterpillar will bury itself in the ground, encasing itself in a do-it-yourself coffin. Inside that casing it actually could be said to disintegrate and rebuild during its metamorphosis stage. Then it emerges as a beautiful moth flitting from flower to flower. It will look for a tomato plant on which to lay its eggs and repeat the process. This is a different take on beauty and the beast. Who would have guessed that the moth and the caterpillar were directly connected? 

Looks can be deceiving.

Henry Wiebe