Hornworm v Yellowjacket: Terror in the Garden #halloweenspecial #unexpectedtwist

Today I had a late afternoon discovery of a hornworm on one of the tomato plants. While the plants have still been producing a few flowers and tiny fruits, the summer season is well over. What remains is entirely for the benefit of our wildlife. I first assumed it was a tomato hornworm, later to discover that it was a tobacco hornworm. They both consume the plants in the Solanaceae (nighshade) family. I had a great deal of trouble getting my iPhone to focus on the hornworm, I believe the busy background along with the lateness of the day made it near impossible. So, I grabbed a couple sheets of colored copy paper and some wooden clothespins to improvise a backdrop. It improved the situation tremendously and the color I happened to have available was great for both the hornworm and the yellowjacket to stand out against. Serendipity! In the same way as I'd gone all gardening season without seeing hornworms until now, the yellowjackets are also fairly recent visitors. They first showed up when the unfortunate mouse had been dispatched by something (bird of prey, most likely) but then abandoned on the ground for all to feast upon. I made a short with the yellowjackets chewing off bits to carry off. Grim stuff, but part of the circle of life that plays out here, in our rewilding garden. I wasn't sure how easily the yellowjackets would dispatch the hornworm, but I had initially thought I'd not interfere. But the hornworm was battling mightily, and it won me over. I looked up how to help it pupate and transform into its adult (moth) self, with the caveat that it cannot be released at any point back into the wild. Both tobacco & tomato hornworms are agricultural pests, as any website selling them for learning opportunities will tell you, repeatedly. So, unlike the other two larval representatives of their respective species already in their containers for overwintering, it will need to stay caged until the end. I feel that the opportunity to share my journey with these creatures here with you all is a greater potential benefit than just having left them in the backyard. Others may feel differently. While I tend to be a fan of many types of wasps that are helpers in the garden, yellowjackets often show up where people are attempting to enjoy outdoor meals (meat, particularly) and are also known to engage in multi sting events if their underground nests are disturbed. I would prefer they stay and hunt elsewhere, if possible. Hornworms are much easier & safer for everyone to deal with. In any case, I hope you enjoy this somewhat #spookyseason video & let me know if you've kept larval stages of insects to watch their transformation. Featuring: Manduca sexta (Tobacco Hornworm or Carolina Sphinx Moth) Vespula squamosa (Southern Yellowjacket) #lepidoptera #hymenoptera #wasps #insecta #insectadventures #ecosystem #backyardwildlife #slowgardening #natureharmony #wildlifeobservation #halloween2026 #scarymovies #jumpscarewarning #spookyvibes #spookygarden #bugtober #predatorvsprey #Spheksophobia #entomophobia #entomology