"Stephen Younge" wrote in message news:mHe3b.217301$Oz4.57751@rwcrnsc54...
Yesterday I saw something that I have never seen before in my life. Huge,
green caterpillars on my tomato plants! I never thought I'd spot the biggest
bugs of my life in Colorado!

....

Anyway, my questions a

1. What are these things? Where did they come from? I planted the tomatoes
in pots with store-bought potting mix. Did they arrive by air?

2. I pried 7 of the buggers off my plants, but couldn't find any more. What
can I do to to prevent them from coming back?

3. Are they poisonous, given that they are eating poisonous tomato plants?
Will birds or other predators go after them?


Facinating. I saw one of these on my tomato plant yesterday for the
first time as well. Admittedly, this is only the second year I have
planted tomatoes (or anything for that matter).

I was so freaked out by the worm that I stuck it on a pile of
fireants. I know that sounds horribly cruel, and I actually felt bad
afterward. Unfortunately, the only bug I can squish without tossing
my tuna is the cucumber beetle (which I do with pleasure, I might
add). What's weird is that an hour later, there were no traces of the
worm. Did it escape alive? Surely not.

I would have tried feeding him to the geckos, but he was larger than
any gecko I have seen.