Damage

Hornworms are daytime feeders, and will feed on just about everything--blossoms, leaves, and fruit. When a hornworm population is high, they will greatly defoliate plants and scar the fruit. Hornworms produce large, deep cavities in the fruit. Usually they are not a problem in the warmer interior valleys unless their natural enemies are disrupted, and then they can do serious damage. Hornworms can also occur in garden situations.

1.Antenna- 2 segmented 2.Eyes- ocelli numerous 3.Head- head capsule 4.Legs- 3 thoracic legs 4 pro legs 5.Wings- adults only 6.Thorax- mesothorax w/greenish white strips 7.Petiole- none 8.Abdomen- 8 segments 9.Color- various colors of green 10.Other- anal horn present on tomato hornworm

Life Cycle

Female grasshoppers deposit eggs in soil of undisturbed areas such as grassy foothills, roadsides, pasture areas, and cultivated fields in the late summer and fall. Eggs are laid in the upper 2 inches of the soil in egg pods containing between 20 and 100 eggs. As the soil gets warm in the spring, eggs hatch and the nymphs begin to feed on nearby plants. Nymphs typically move toward green vegetation as food supplies disappear. Nymphs will molt five to six times before becoming adults, and usually have only one generation per year. Adult grasshoppers can live up to 2-3 months; they eventually die when food becomes scarce or the weather becomes too cold.