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.

From Salon

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

From Scientific American

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.

From Washington Post

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.

From Washington Post

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

From Salon