Mangled, you could definitely plant some sacrificial datura. I grow several types but the biggest growing, happiest, and most floriferous for me is Datura meteloides which gets enormous if you let it and is perennial in the warm winter parts of AZ. Below is a pic I recently took of one of several of mine with those great hand-sized scented white blooms (also adding the link as well). If you need seeds, let me know. They're very easy though their germination schedule is random. Happy to share some seeds though if you're looking--let me know. I don't know if planting them would attract MORE caterpillars than you'd already get, but if nothing else, they get big and theyr'e a good place to let the caterpillars do their thing. Datura meteloides Take care and keep us posted, Grant who noticed several small cute hornworm caterpillars on the daturas this week. Here is a link that might be useful: Datura blooms and foliage in my garden

Thanks for the fast response. I just checked under the leaves with a magnifying glass. Looks like the bugs are gone. As for sunburn, these plants have never been outside. I've got about 15 plants under a lamp on a timer in the kitchen. They all look like this, some worse than others, but they seem to be getting worse since i started this post This is a leaf that just fell off. The Black dots seem to be pit marks. There is a strange mottling underneath all of the leaves, even the ones that look healthy from above but no sign of bugs Help!

I've seen evidence of hornworms on one of my tomatoes but can't find anything. I did, however, pull another enormous index finger sized hornworm off of one of my Padron plants yesterday. HUGE! That's the second really large one on my Padrons. Those poor peppers went from being insanely healthy and producing like mad to bacterial spot to making a great recovery and now hornworms. *sigh* The best help I've had controlling hornworms is trellising my tomatoes on a chainlink fence- the birds do an excellent job of patrolling the vines and getting the nasty caterpillars for me. From the tomatoes they work over to the peppers and take care of business over there for the most part... other than my poor Padrons.... which happen to be our absolute favorite. Isn't that always the way?!!?

**I see I need to shrewishly waggle my reminder finger at my fellow gardeners that there are starvling lizards, birds and toads in their gardens who would gratefully welcome the disdained tomato hornworm.** I somewhat agree, but in no way recommend leaving them to feast....... unless they have been used as a host from a parasitic wasp. I will snap off the branch they are on and relocate them to take their chances in nature elsewhere. The tobacco hw will display white chevrons ...or .."V's" along it's side. The tomato worm has slanted vertical lines. The moth we see around here lately is spectacular, the size of a hummingbird, displaying similar flight patterns. and depending on the variety of moth.............. translucent wings outlined in deep ruby red, with bodys banded in black and orange that truly resemble a lobster in flight. (minus the claws:) Others are camoflaged so you would be hard pressed to see them right off, on the side of a tree, or in the foilage. As so often in nature all is not as it seems........ Look for them at the hummer feeder, and around the tomato garden. It's well worth it, if you like that kind of thing.......... Tom