This stupid caterpillar! What is it?
ottk2007August 17, 2013
I am so tired of these things! Check my plants in the morning--no caterpillars. Check my plants in the afternoon and there are caterpillars that have used some sticky stuff to curl the leaves as a shelter for a bunch of brown eggs. I spray them with insecticidal soap to kill the ones I see, but how can I prevent them from getting there in the first place?
Suprisingly enough, that is a leaf roller. There are actually several moth species whose larvae roll leaves for shelter. They seem to be more common on other types of plants, such as fruit trees and cannas, than on tomatoes.
Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is one of the most effective controls, but should have been applied much earlier as stated in the article I've linked below. At this point, physical intervention works best since they have to eat Bt and by the time they are rolling the leaves, they are preparing to pupate.
Betsy
Here is a link that might be useful: Leaf roller control
Thank you, Betsy!
That caterpillar is too old to be affected by Bt. (Must be less than half-grown.)
Roll up the leaflet & squish.
Then be alert for any of its relatives. Repeat above treatment as needed.
Thank you, Betsy!