Crappo, The Hornworm

A few weeks ago we found another hornworm trashing the tomato plants. They are somewhat of a multi-fisted eater, if there is such a thing. Kinda like me with barbequed pork and french fries.

Anyhow it was decided that this particular hornworm would be placed in a old pickle jar and transported for some of the grandboys to view; kind of a nature thing you know. All of the other hornworms suffered some sort of instantaneous demise.

Originally the hornworm was placed in an old pickle jar with a large handful of tomato plant stalks with many leaves. By the next morning the stalks were bare and the hornworm was on the bottom of a doo-doo filled jar.

Well Nana cleaned out the jar and was getting ready to refill it with some more tomato plant chow. While cleaning the jar, she had left the hornworm, now named Crappo, on the entry-way sidewalk. By the time the jar was cleaned, Crappo was gone, but was located in a few minutes busily burrowing into the dirt next to the sidewalk.

Here was a clue, so a few handfuls of dirt were placed in the bottom of the jar. By the next morning Crappo was buried in the dirt. His outer layer turned a dark brown and no more action was forthcoming for a few (no one kept track) weeks.



Crappo manged to get about 99.9% out of the pupae sheath but that's where he gave up the ghost. Though Crappo's story did not end well the grandboys now have captured some hornworms of their own. Hopefully they will fare better with theirs, named ChewBacca and Master Yoda.