COLD DARK ROOM

[Moozillion]

Greetings...

Was out doing some garden and yard cleanup today before the heavy rains come later this week with Hurricane Florence. While trimming my Brandywine tomato plants I came across one of those cool things in nature... tomato horn worm larva that has now been attacked by a wasp that lays it’s eggs inside... kills the larva...etc.

Pix of the caterpillar that is hanging on my tomato plant

View attachment 251213

Here is whats going on there on the back of that caterpillar

The parasitoid wasp, Cotesia congregata of the family Braconidae, also kills M. quinquemaculata.

Here’s How: Adult wasp females lay their eggs inside the skin of the hornworm caterpillar. After hatching, the wasp larvae use the organs and tissues of the caterpillar as food sources before burrowing out of the skin and pupating on the back and sides of the caterpillar. (The white wings on the caterpillar). Once the wasps have emerged from their cocoons, the weakened caterpillar dies. These wasps have also been suggested as a means of biological control of the tomato hornworm

The Moth’s Lifecycle

View attachment 251214

Anyhow, just thought I’d share what’s going on in my backyard...

Oh, WOW!!!!
That is SO COOL!!! Thanks for posting and explaining!!!!!

 

[JoesMum]

Greetings...

Was out doing some garden and yard cleanup today before the heavy rains come later this week with Hurricane Florence. While trimming my Brandywine tomato plants I came across one of those cool things in nature... tomato horn worm larva that has now been attacked by a wasp that lays it’s eggs inside... kills the larva...etc.

Pix of the caterpillar that is hanging on my tomato plant

View attachment 251213

Here is whats going on there on the back of that caterpillar

The parasitoid wasp, Cotesia congregata of the family Braconidae, also kills M. quinquemaculata.

Here’s How: Adult wasp females lay their eggs inside the skin of the hornworm caterpillar. After hatching, the wasp larvae use the organs and tissues of the caterpillar as food sources before burrowing out of the skin and pupating on the back and sides of the caterpillar. (The white wings on the caterpillar). Once the wasps have emerged from their cocoons, the weakened caterpillar dies. These wasps have also been suggested as a means of biological control of the tomato hornworm

The Moth’s Lifecycle

View attachment 251214

Anyhow, just thought I’d share what’s going on in my backyard...

That’s really cool! Thanks for sharing... definitely interesting

 

[EllieMay]

Greetings...

Was out doing some garden and yard cleanup today before the heavy rains come later this week with Hurricane Florence. While trimming my Brandywine tomato plants I came across one of those cool things in nature... tomato horn worm larva that has now been attacked by a wasp that lays it’s eggs inside... kills the larva...etc.

Pix of the caterpillar that is hanging on my tomato plant

View attachment 251213

Here is whats going on there on the back of that caterpillar

The parasitoid wasp, Cotesia congregata of the family Braconidae, also kills M. quinquemaculata.

Here’s How: Adult wasp females lay their eggs inside the skin of the hornworm caterpillar. After hatching, the wasp larvae use the organs and tissues of the caterpillar as food sources before burrowing out of the skin and pupating on the back and sides of the caterpillar. (The white wings on the caterpillar). Once the wasps have emerged from their cocoons, the weakened caterpillar dies. These wasps have also been suggested as a means of biological control of the tomato hornworm

The Moth’s Lifecycle

View attachment 251214

Anyhow, just thought I’d share what’s going on in my backyard...

Lol! Your like a special trip to sci-port!!! Awesome!

 

[Maro2Bear]

Lol! Your like a special trip to sci-port!!! Awesome!

Thanks..!

 

[Moozillion]

Greetings...

Was out doing some garden and yard cleanup today before the heavy rains come later this week with Hurricane Florence. While trimming my Brandywine tomato plants I came across one of those cool things in nature... tomato horn worm larva that has now been attacked by a wasp that lays it’s eggs inside... kills the larva...etc.

Pix of the caterpillar that is hanging on my tomato plant

View attachment 251213

Here is whats going on there on the back of that caterpillar

The parasitoid wasp, Cotesia congregata of the family Braconidae, also kills M. quinquemaculata.

Here’s How: Adult wasp females lay their eggs inside the skin of the hornworm caterpillar. After hatching, the wasp larvae use the organs and tissues of the caterpillar as food sources before burrowing out of the skin and pupating on the back and sides of the caterpillar. (The white wings on the caterpillar). Once the wasps have emerged from their cocoons, the weakened caterpillar dies. These wasps have also been suggested as a means of biological control of the tomato hornworm

The Moth’s Lifecycle

View attachment 251214

Anyhow, just thought I’d share what’s going on in my backyard...

While they're CALLED "tomato horn worms," these #%$@! critters do NOT limit themselves to tomatoes!!! I first found out about these things when something was STRIPPING the leaves from my heritage rose in my front yard! I couldn't see anything on them in the daytime, so I went out at night with a flashlight, saw these crazy looking things chowing down on my rose bush. I picked them off with tweezers, dropping them in a can of alcohol so they would DIE!!!!! When I looked them up later, lo and behold they were tomato horn worms!!!!! My next door neighbor grew tomato plants all along the fence line between our yards, so I figure that's where they came from.
I LOVE my roses!!!! NO DEATH IS TOO BAD FOR THINGS THAT EAT MY ROSE BUSHES!!!!!

 

[Maro2Bear]

While they're CALLED "tomato horn worms," these #%$@! critters do NOT limit themselves to tomatoes!!! I first found out about these things when something was STRIPPING the leaves from my heritage rose in my front yard! I couldn't see anything on them in the daytime, so I went out at night with a flashlight, saw these crazy looking things chowing down on my rose bush. I picked them off with tweezers, dropping them in a can of alcohol so they would DIE!!!!! When I looked them up later, lo and behold they were tomato horn worms!!!!! My next door neighbor grew tomato plants all along the fence line between our yards, so I figure that's where they came from.
I LOVE my roses!!!! NO DEATH IS TOO BAD FOR THINGS THAT EAT MY ROSE BUSHES!!!!!

• Yes! Good point. The first time I encountered these things was a few years back when day after day my tomato plants were getting smaller and smaller, leaf by leaf, plant by plant. Deer? Nope. Birds, nope. Possums, nope. Could NOT figure out what was going on.... who or what was destroying the crops. Then......we uncovered a ton of these guys all over ...but mostly hanging beneath the leaves! Disguise artists with voracious appetites to destroy! Death!

 

[Lyn W]

Is this a actual plan ? I thought it was history that there was an army base planned.

Maybe they weren't allowed to go ahead with it, but I only heard about the possibility about 5 months ago so it's not that long ago.

 

[Lyn W]

Never sing songs for your tortoises ! Maybe they refuse to eat without your singing like Lola !!!!!

Lola doesn't like my singing that much - he usually passes urates in his bath when I start.

 

[Lyn W]

I found this..

India is preparing to build a military base in the Seychelles as part of the country's ongoing contest with China for influence in the Indian Ocean. In January 2018, India signed a 20 year pact with the Seychelles to build an airstrip and a jetty for its navy on Assumption Island.Feb 19, 2018

And this

The Indian government’s plan to set up and develop its first overseas military base at Assumption Island in the Seychelles was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Indian Ocean tour in March 2015. Modi visited the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka with a view to boost India’s regional diplomacy and capabilities.

But..... since the agreement was signed, a number of issues and criticisms have cropped up and progress toward its ratification remained slow. The deal has faced immense protest from locals who view the Indian presence in the small island nation as a threat. Various stakeholders in the Seychelles, ranging from politicians and lawyers to government officials, believe that the nation is capable of building its own military base and training its own soldiers, and does not require foreign assistance.

But...in January

On January 27, 2018, then-Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar signed the new “‘revised” agreement for the development of Assumption Island. This revised agreement, supported by Seychelles President Darry Faure, described the project as one of “utmost importance” to the Seychelles and one that “attests to the kinship and affinity that exists between India and Seychelles.” Although there was a proposal to table the agreement in parliament in December 2017, it did not take place.

Although there are various conflicting opinions on India’s Assumption Island military deal, the fact of the matter remains that the deal is still being debated in the Seychelles’ parliament. Since the leak, Faure’s government has ordered a probe. Vice President Vincent Meriton opined that “the deal is still in a conception phase, and there is no clear cost attributed to it at the moment.” The core issue is that both the Indian and Seychelles governments should have taken a stride toward transparency and made the text available to public and the language of the text less ambiguous. Secrecy has only helped in raising suspicions that Seychelles’ interests will be harmed.

Source - https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/has-indias-plan-to-build-a-military-base-in-seychelles-stalled/

Hopefully it won't come to fruition.

 

[Lyn W]

While they're CALLED "tomato horn worms," these #%$@! critters do NOT limit themselves to tomatoes!!! I first found out about these things when something was STRIPPING the leaves from my heritage rose in my front yard! I couldn't see anything on them in the daytime, so I went out at night with a flashlight, saw these crazy looking things chowing down on my rose bush. I picked them off with tweezers, dropping them in a can of alcohol so they would DIE!!!!! When I looked them up later, lo and behold they were tomato horn worms!!!!! My next door neighbor grew tomato plants all along the fence line between our yards, so I figure that's where they came from.
I LOVE my roses!!!! NO DEATH IS TOO BAD FOR THINGS THAT EAT MY ROSE BUSHES!!!!!

Death by alcohol ! I bet they died with smiles on their faces!!

 

[Lyn W]

A quick hello and goodbye from me.
It's been a busy day and evening again, so I'm a bit late.
Hope everyone enjoys what's left of Tuesday and has a good Weds.
Nos Da for now!

 

[EllieMay]

Lola doesn't like my singing that much - he usually passes urates in his bath when I start.

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

[Kristoff]

Good morning my friends

[emoji85][emoji85][emoji85]

 

[Kristoff]

Okay, but the stars were the same as today.

Except you couldn’t see them much in the UK, for all the clouds [emoji85][emoji85][emoji85]

 

[Kristoff]

Greetings...

Was out doing some garden and yard cleanup today before the heavy rains come later this week with Hurricane Florence. While trimming my Brandywine tomato plants I came across one of those cool things in nature... tomato horn worm larva that has now been attacked by a wasp that lays it’s eggs inside... kills the larva...etc.

Pix of the caterpillar that is hanging on my tomato plant

View attachment 251213

Here is whats going on there on the back of that caterpillar

The parasitoid wasp, Cotesia congregata of the family Braconidae, also kills M. quinquemaculata.

Here’s How: Adult wasp females lay their eggs inside the skin of the hornworm caterpillar. After hatching, the wasp larvae use the organs and tissues of the caterpillar as food sources before burrowing out of the skin and pupating on the back and sides of the caterpillar. (The white wings on the caterpillar). Once the wasps have emerged from their cocoons, the weakened caterpillar dies. These wasps have also been suggested as a means of biological control of the tomato hornworm

The Moth’s Lifecycle

View attachment 251214

Anyhow, just thought I’d share what’s going on in my backyard...

Scary. I’d try to clean up that caterpillar, whether it would be right or wrong

 

[Kristoff]

Death by alcohol ! I bet they died with smiles on their faces!!

Not a bad way to go... for a caterpillar... [emoji23]

 

[Kristoff]

Good mornooning, roommates! Sorry I was unable to check in yesterday. Hope everyone is doing well, and all the new critters — torts and dogs — are settling in well. Also hope everyone’s work week will get easier now that we’re at the half mark.
I guess it’s Adam’s birthday in about a week. Have you made any diplomatic progress, @Bee62?
Oh, I dreamed of Kristoff and Elsa last night. Made me so happy! I thought, while still dreaming, I must tell my roommates that I got to see them... Amazing how one little shelled friend (Kristoff, because he came in our life first) changed my entire attitude to reptiles. [emoji173]️

 

[Bee62]

I found this..

India is preparing to build a military base in the Seychelles as part of the country's ongoing contest with China for influence in the Indian Ocean. In January 2018, India signed a 20 year pact with the Seychelles to build an airstrip and a jetty for its navy on Assumption Island.Feb 19, 2018

And this

The Indian government’s plan to set up and develop its first overseas military base at Assumption Island in the Seychelles was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Indian Ocean tour in March 2015. Modi visited the Seychelles, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka with a view to boost India’s regional diplomacy and capabilities.

But..... since the agreement was signed, a number of issues and criticisms have cropped up and progress toward its ratification remained slow. The deal has faced immense protest from locals who view the Indian presence in the small island nation as a threat. Various stakeholders in the Seychelles, ranging from politicians and lawyers to government officials, believe that the nation is capable of building its own military base and training its own soldiers, and does not require foreign assistance.

But...in January

On January 27, 2018, then-Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar signed the new “‘revised” agreement for the development of Assumption Island. This revised agreement, supported by Seychelles President Darry Faure, described the project as one of “utmost importance” to the Seychelles and one that “attests to the kinship and affinity that exists between India and Seychelles.” Although there was a proposal to table the agreement in parliament in December 2017, it did not take place.

Although there are various conflicting opinions on India’s Assumption Island military deal, the fact of the matter remains that the deal is still being debated in the Seychelles’ parliament. Since the leak, Faure’s government has ordered a probe. Vice President Vincent Meriton opined that “the deal is still in a conception phase, and there is no clear cost attributed to it at the moment.” The core issue is that both the Indian and Seychelles governments should have taken a stride toward transparency and made the text available to public and the language of the text less ambiguous. Secrecy has only helped in raising suspicions that Seychelles’ interests will be harmed.

Source - https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/has-indias-plan-to-build-a-military-base-in-seychelles-stalled/

Thank you Mark for this information. It will be a desaster for Assumption Island when the plans of a military base will come true.
That will be very sad.

 

[Bee62]

Greetings...

Was out doing some garden and yard cleanup today before the heavy rains come later this week with Hurricane Florence. While trimming my Brandywine tomato plants I came across one of those cool things in nature... tomato horn worm larva that has now been attacked by a wasp that lays it’s eggs inside... kills the larva...etc.

Pix of the caterpillar that is hanging on my tomato plant

View attachment 251213

Here is whats going on there on the back of that caterpillar

The parasitoid wasp, Cotesia congregata of the family Braconidae, also kills M. quinquemaculata.

Here’s How: Adult wasp females lay their eggs inside the skin of the hornworm caterpillar. After hatching, the wasp larvae use the organs and tissues of the caterpillar as food sources before burrowing out of the skin and pupating on the back and sides of the caterpillar. (The white wings on the caterpillar). Once the wasps have emerged from their cocoons, the weakened caterpillar dies. These wasps have also been suggested as a means of biological control of the tomato hornworm

The Moth’s Lifecycle

View attachment 251214

Anyhow, just thought I’d share what’s going on in my backyard...

It is interesting what`s going on in your backyard but sometimes cruel. Being eaten alive is really cruel. Poor tomato horn worm.

 

[Bee62]

Lola doesn't like my singing that much - he usually passes urates in his bath when I start.

Uhh, you think he will tell you p*ss off ????