More Tomato Hornworm stuff!

UGH! Last night (and after having pulled twelve of these guys off my Sweet 100 tomato plants) I went out in the hunt for more offenders (they are most active at night) and found these two little fellas whom I destined to the early bird (literally) buffet. I did not want them to suffer, after all, they are just doing what they were born to do, right? so I put a bunch, and I mean I stuffed the plastic container with big fat tomato branches for them to feast on. This morning all the leaves were gone and all these little eggs showed up! Not sure if the caterpillars (which is what they are, despite their name they are not worms) lay eggs when under stress or if these two fellas had a fiesta sensing that it might be their last night on the planet. Who knows, I'll have to research it when I have time...will post outcome. Remember, these fellas rarely act alone, so if you find one keep looking!!!!

**UPDATE** It was eating me up inside not knowing why all of a sudden so many eggs appeared in the container...while I could not find the reason I found this amazing site (see link attached) with a great pic (like half-way down the page) of something I had read about: the wasps larvae feeding off the caterpillar...it looks like they are white rice hitching a ride on the caterpillar's back. Neat stuff.

http://www.vegedge.umn.edu/vegpest/hornworm.htm