Tomato Horned Worm

[tennfan56]

Would it be safe to feed my reptiles these Tomato Horned Worms that I keep finding on my plants? They are very large at about 4 inches.

[guidofatherof5]

Check this out Welcome to Great Lakes Hornworm

[tennfan56]

I guess that answers my question. Thank you.

[Spankenstyne]

Do not feed them from the wild. They can be toxic if they have been feeding on tomato plants.

The ones available as feeders (and excellent feeders at that) are fed a mulberry chow.

[Stefan-A]

Do not feed them from the wild. They can be toxic if they have been feeding on tomato plants.

Very good point.

[drache]

Do not feed them from the wild. They can be toxic if they have been feeding on tomato plants.

The ones available as feeders (and excellent feeders at that) are fed a mulberry chow.

did not know this
thanks

[ConcinusMan]

There are many species of horned worms and yes, some are toxic depending on what they've been eating. I wouldn't feed using wild ones. You must be careful about feeding any wild larvae (caterpillars).

We have an abundant soft-bodied caterpillar here that was introduced to control tansy ragwort - a toxic weed. Unfortunately, the local northwestern alligator lizards love to eat these caterpillars and as a result the lizard population has been decimated where these caterpillars (and tansy) are. The caterpillars retain toxins from the weed and poison the lizards. Birds seem to be smart enough to leave them alone.

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

We have an abundant soft-bodied caterpillar here that was introduced to control tansy ragwort - a toxic weed. Unfortunately, the local northwestern alligator lizards love to eat these caterpillars and as a result the lizard population has been decimated where these caterpillars (and tansy) are. The caterpillars retain toxins from the weed and poison the lizards. Birds seem to be smart enough to leave them alone.

Sounds like Cinnabar Moths... They were introduced from Europe to control tansy (also from Europe). Unfortunately, this attempt of a biological control didn't quite solve the problem. Great! Now they're poisoning our "allies." Where did you find this out?

[ConcinusMan]

University of Washington and our local newspaper. Yes, Cinnabar is what I am talking about. They are very effective at controlling tansy here. The problem isn't nearly as bad as it was 20 years ago. They haven't eliminated it, but certainly made a dent. Unfortunately, the alligator lizards, once common, are now scarce. University of Washington discovered the reason.