Reference for catepillar identification?

carolynz · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Posts: 11 Location: Washington,TEXAS

Does anyone know of a website or book for identifying catepillars and the resulting butterfly/moth?

Nadine · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 1170 Location: Carrollton,TEXAS

Here is one I like:

http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/america/

dcluck · Joined: 09 Mar 2003 Posts: 315 Location: Dallas,TEXAS

Hey, thanks Nadine! I was looking for something just like this last week.

~Dave

Gar · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Posts: 533 Location: Lavon,Texas

Much thanks Nadine. :D
The knobbly one looks like the ones that were eating my tomato plants this fall. What can I spray my plants with next year to stop these caterpillers from eating the leaves? My neighbors call them tomato worms.
I picked off the critters and deposited them down the stack in the compost bin. Hopefully they will turn into compost and feed the plants next year.

Bostonian · Joined: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 12 Location: Randolph, MA U.S.A.

Bacillus thuringiensis (commonly known as 'Bt')
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http://helios.bto.ed.ac.uk/bto/microbes/bt.htm

Gar · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Posts: 533 Location: Lavon,Texas

Thanks for the reply Kathy, I'll try BT next year.

Nadine · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 1170 Location: Carrollton,TEXAS

Gar wrote: Much thanks Nadine. :D
The knobbly one looks like the ones that were eating my tomato plants this fall. What can I spray my plants with next year to stop these caterpillers from eating the leaves? My neighbors call them tomato worms...

Bostonian is right. Bt should be applied next year just before the time they appeared this year and once again about two weeks later. BTK is what you will need for caterpillars as opposed to BTI which is for mosquitoes.