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Found this poor caterpillar on a tomato plant covered in these pods. They are a blue/gray color and look kind of fuzzy. They also had these two winged bugs walking around it almost like little farmers or nursery workers. Anyone have any clue what the pods are?? And as a side note do you also know what the caterpillar turns into??
Found on a tomato plant in south eastern Connecticut
Spotted on Aug 11, 2014
Submitted on Aug 11, 2014
2 Comments
The white "pods" are actually tiny cocoons from a type of parasitic wasp. The tiny winged insects are the wasps that have just hatched (most likely) out of those cocoons. Before the cocoons were made, the larvae of the wasp were living inside of the caterpillar. They emerge and spin cocoons once they are done feeding. Here are some images of a similar situation: http://bugguide.net/node/view/3562
Your caterpillar looks like a Carolina Sphinx (Tobacco Hornworm), Manduca sexta.
Unfortunately, for your caterpillar, it will most likely die from the infestation.
Looks like this is a caterpillar on which the bugs have laid eggs...mutton on hooves, so to say.