That is kind of you to let them survive, and it sure is a biggie!!!!!! When they are ready, they crawl away and pupate in the ground. The chrysalis is brown to match the soil and about the size of your index finger.

Linda

Thanks Linda! I guess I always assumed they lived on a branch somewhere to pupate and wondered how they could survive a winter. I'm surprised with all the digging we do around here sometimes, we haven't found one. How soon in the spring do they come out? They are so interesting!

EWWW!!! I hope you don't see that. You are very kind not to destroy them. They are not a good looking insect. In the upper Midwest, up to two generations of hornworms can occur per year. Unfortunately many things that are bad for our gardens winter over here in our zones.

Thanks vgkg and Patti. Yes, vgkg, I've had the wasp eggs on the hornworms, but haven't seen any of them this year. I don't even have the hornworms out in my garden........just on the deck. I went out this afternoon to look at it, and it's gone. Couldn't even see all the other smaller ones. They're pretty good at blending in though. I hope nothing got them. I don't think chipmunks would eat them, would they? I have a chipmunk that likes to sit on the deck railing in the sun. :)

My old chicken flock loved hornworms. I would throw one to them when they were out free ranging in the yard and watch the commotion. Whichever hen got ahold of it became a 'running back' with all of the rest chasing it around. We called it chicken football. They also used frogs and small snakes as the 'ball' too.

:(

They eat and eat and eat then drop to the ground and pupae. It's a weird brown looking pupae that turns into a hummingbird sized moth that then lays eggs on ur next year's tomatoes. And if u don't kill them u will have more and more every year. Here we get them twice sometimes 3 s a year. This last season I was picking off 5 or 6 a DAY. I kill them now. They will quickly eat ur entire tomato plants if u dont.