Hornworm

Huge green caterpillars, up to four inches long, with white stripes and a small horn on the tail. They strip tomato, pepper, and eggplant leaves overnight and can chew into fruit.

• Whole branches stripped bare of leaves.
• Dark green pellets of frass under the plant.
• Large green caterpillars — surprisingly hard to spot against the stems.

• Check plants every couple of days — hand-pick and drop into soapy water.
• Spray Bt if the infestation is bad.
• Leave any hornworm covered in white rice-like cocoons alone — those are parasitic wasps that will kill more hornworms.