Caterpillars on tomato leaves!

[veggiechicken]

I have holey tomato leaves. Tiny little green caterpillars on the underside. This is a new one for me - anyone know what they are please.

[rustylady]

Some sort of moth caterpillar I think VC.

[veggiechicken]

That's about as much as I could find too, RL. So far, they're just on one plant so I've removed all the holey leaves and moved it out of the GH into the garden. Fingers crossed that no more of the little munchers find the toms

[mothhawk]

Yep, deffo caterpillars VC

[veggiechicken]

Thanks Mothhawk I always value your expert opinion
So three of us believe the pests are caterpillars - I think we may be onto something

[jayjaybee]

Thanks Mothhawk I always value your expert opinion
So three of us believe the pests are caterpillars - I think we may be onto something

You must have a quorum, put it to the vote

[veggiechicken]

So what's your opinion Jen?

[PyreneesPlot]

Casting vote?












Caterpillar.

[veggiechicken]

Thanks MoM That's 4 out of 4 with one No vote. Do you think I should start a Poll?

[zazen999]

They aren't just caterpillars; they are tiny green parachuting caterpillars...

If you disturb them, they parachute down to the soil so that you can't find them...

[Two_Sheds]

VC, could you raise some in a container, so we finally find out what the adult is?

This question keeps coming up, and all I can find online is the tomato hornworm, which it isn't (no horn)

[veggiechicken]

Thanks Zaz That's a major step forward - its the Em and Ess tiny green parachuting caterpillar.
I wonder how many I disturbed during leaf examination

[veggiechicken]

VC, could you raise some in a container, so we finally find out what the adult is?

This question keeps coming up, and all I can find online is the tomato hornworm, which it isn't (no horn)

Consider it done - I have at least 4 new pets
When I removed the leaves this morning I put them in a plastic food tray and left it on the grass. Tonight the leaves are wilted, so may still contain the caterpillars in the photo, but there were 4 absolutely tiny ones in the bottom of the tray. They're now in a clear yogurt pot with some extra leaves so I should be able to watch progress
If I find anymore I'll add them to the pot

[Jardiniere]

get a photo of the parachute! No better still get a vid of them parachuting! That'll make top ten on YouTube straight away......are the parachutes green too? Exciting!

[veggiechicken]

I just goggled images of "caterpillar on tomato leaf" and a couple of images came up - and I thought - that's it, that's the ones I have - then I realised it was my photos from this morning I find that really unsettling