I'm going to eat you my pretty, and your little friend, too! ah-hahahaha! (ok, poor wicked witch imitation, but that's what is going through my head!)
We have these lovely flowers growing outside our dining room window and it makes for a lovely view and a show of different butterflies and hummingbirds that come to feast on the nectar. I'm not sure what the name of these flowers are, but they come back on their own year after year. Anyway, this huge moth comes around a lot and looks a lot like a hummingbird so I've been calling it a 'hummingbird moth'. Lo and behold, after a little research, that's exactly what it is called! Actually, their proper name is Sphinx moths but the nickname is hummingbird moth. Turns out it is what those horrible hornworms turn into-- hummingbird moths! Ack!!
I've managed to get a pretty good picture of it in action-- they are constantly flying from flower to flower-- so here the wings look almost transparent. They are large moths, about 2 inches in length and kind of neat to watch. I've been keeping a constant watch on my tomatoes for hornworms and I haven't seen any.. so I'm hoping the moths came from someone else's garden, not mine. After last years' infestation and losing most of my tomatoes to the hornworms, I've been pretty protective of my tomatoes this year. I'm determined to preserve at least 24 quarts of tomatoes, if not more.
5 comments:
Tomatoes... yummy!
Never heard of hummingbird moth, but I have seen hummingbirds in Colorado (very common there) and here in Indiana (not common here, but would come if one hang out the sweet red liquid...)
Wow those tom's look yummy, I think mine won't ripen until late August. I hate the guilt after eating the only one or two of something...and then the feeling quickly passes. hehe
That is some moth, we have nothing like that around here. No wonder you are so protective of your tomatoes.
Yes,yes,there is nothing like plucking a fresh tomato from the vine and having the juice run down the front of your shirt! My dad used to put sugar on his tomatoes. I don't know where that came from,but I prefer salt,of course because it is bad for me!
Anyway, your mystery bush looks alot like a Lantana. They grow has large hedge type bushes in Hawaii,but are annuals here on the Coast. I have always loved Lantanas because of the variety of colors. "Variety is the spice of live"!
Lantana
Hey Jenny! Val didn't claim her Freebie Friday book, so I'd like to send it on to you! Will you please send your snail mail addy to: maryann(at)averymarydesign(dot)com ? Thank you!
Karen-- I suspect it may be too cold for the hornworms to survive in Colorado winters?? If so, you're lucky you don't have to deal with 'em!
Throwback-- Oh yes, that guilty feeling! I know it very well! :o) It also applies to the last thing of the season, too!
You might not have hornworms and their moths, but you have those stripey caterpillars to contend with! I have never seen those before! And how can you miss those stripes??!! The hornworms match the tomatoes too well!
Lantana-- Is that what they are?? I'll have to look that up! Do you like Lantanas, is that why you named yourself lantana?
Sugar on tomatoes? hmm.. My dad likes salt and pepper on watermelon!
Very Mary-- eeeeee!! I won I won!! Even if I was a runner up-- I won I won!! :o)
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