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big fat larva thing
hi there,
can you help us identify this larva/caterpillar thing we found in our garden? we live in northern ontario (canada), and our cat found it near our lilac bushes. it measures approx. 3 inches when stretched out. it is *lightning* fast, i never would have imagined something so fat moving that fast. if you poke it it thrashes very aggressively. what purpose does the ‘horn’ serve? we showed it to a neighbor who is an avid gardener and were told they would eat our tomato plants if we didnt get rid of them. thanks in advance for any info you can give us, cheers,
gabriel & rio

Hi Gabriel and Rio,
You caterpillar is not a Tomato Hornworm, but a close relative, the Laurel Sphinx, Sphinx kalmiae, which is easily distinguished from other Sphinx or Hawkmoth caterpillars known as Hornworms because of its black and blue mottled horn. It feeds on laurels, ashes, lilacs, privets; also reported from poplars. It will not eat tomatoes.

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