Sorry posted duplicate photos. Here is a pic of the black stuff on the tomato.

Yes, that is hornworm frass. I call it "sixpack poop".

Comb through your foliage carefully, especially deep inside the plant, and see whether you can find it and get rid of it. It looks like it's a big guy, and once they get that big, they can do a LOT of damage alarmingly quickly. If you can't find it, it may have dropped off to pupate, or something may have made a meal out of it. But look hard. For such a giant caterpillar, it's remarkably well camouflaged and hard to see. If you see it with tiny white cocoons stuck to its back, leave it alone; it has been parasitized by wasp larvae and is no longer eating. The wasps should be left to emerge, as they are beneficial.

OMG I am laughing so hard right now - "sixpack poop" Yes it looks segmented so that's a great name! I combed through the plants carefully when I got home tonight - looked under leaves, in the soil, in the middle of the plants, couldn't find any. I'm going to check again later after this rather raucous t-storm we are having here now. Thanks - I'll keep you posted. Someone said they turn into hummingbird moths. If that is true, I had no idea. I am a huge hummingbird fan, by the way, which has nothing to do with this posting, but thought I'd throw that in there.

summerlee: Someone said they turn into hummingbird moths. If that is true, I had no idea. I am a huge hummingbird fan, by the way, which has nothing to do with this posting, but thought I'd throw that in there.

Yeah, they're pretty neat moths. They're also known as hawk moths and sphinx moths. It's too bad their larvae are so destructive.

Here's video of the moth form, Manduca quinquemaculata. It's obvious why one of their common names is hummingbird moth.

Hornworms can also be Manduca sexta caterpillars, aka tobacco hornworm. Both species feed on solanaceous plants, not just tomato or just tobacco. They look very similar, both as caterpillars and adults.

OMG the moth in the vid has such a long tongue or whatever it's called. So interesting.

Does Bt harm bees or other beneficial insects? Can it be bought in stores? I was just posting a separate question on this site because now I noticed holes in my tomatoes on the bottom. I need to do something fast. So tempted to pick them now while they're green and still relatively "perfect".

The strain of Bt you'd use for this only kills caterpillars (another strain kills mosquito larvae). You can find it in stores; there are several brands (I think Safer makes one, etc.) both pre-mixed in a spray bottle or concentrated.

Thank you very much.

Spray all foliage (both sides), flowers, and fruit. Bt should not burn the leaves the way copper, soaps, and oils can, but to be safe, you should apply at a time when the sun isn't strong. I usually apply Bt or spinosad in the evenings because many caterpillars are night feeders, so I like to get a good coating on there fresh right before they start chowing down. Also, UV radiation is really good at breaking stuff down, so I figure I get an extra half day of avoiding UV degradation if I apply in the evenings.

The tomato in your last pic is just showing signs of catfacing. It's not pest damage, although I suppose pests might try to take advantage of the cavities.

Thank you so much, gorbelly! I heard of catfacing recently (Thanks for the link). I don't see how it looks like a cat! Again, I appreciate your time and expertise. I am so itching to pick one or two of the tomatoes now - several are so huge, but still so green. I'll look into the Bt. And I don't know if I mentioned it above, but the only tomatoes that have been chewed on (just two thankfully) are the beefsteak ones. The tie dye heirloom ones (I have 9 of them) only have some catfacing here and there. no bug bites or marks on those.

Yeah, I find that hornworms aren't that big of a deal for me here. I had one last year and two this year so far that made it to a size large enough for me to notice the damage and hunt them down. They're more of a pest in other parts of the country, especially in tobacco-farming areas.

Since I haven't seen any more damage, nor have I seen a hornworm's poop or seen an actual one, do you think I should still buy the Safer Bt spray? So far I don't see the Safer product that is already mixed which I'd prefer - I just see either Safer Bt dust or a Safer Bt concentrate that I would have to mix with water. If there are any opportunistic bugs out there (and what bug isn't opportunistic?!) then like you said some may take advantage of some of the holes in the tomatoes. Not sure what kind would go into the holes. The hornworms are too big to fit....What's your opinion on getting the Bt stuff just in case?

If you can purchase it locally, then I wouldn't bother with it unless you have another caterpillar problem, in which case, you can run out and get some. It doesn't keep well, so if you don't end up using it, you'll likely have to toss it at the end of the season.

As for the catfacing, there's always a chance that something--bugs, fungus, etc.--could take advantage of any break in a fruit's skin, but most of the time, a catfaced tomato matures just fine. It looks like the one in your pic is scarred over pretty well. The top "pest" that I can think of that might cause a problem in vulnerable fruit is ants, and Bt won't work on them anyway.

Looks like some kind of katydid to me as well. They do eat plants, but I've never heard of them damaging tomato plants. I know they can harm citrus trees (which obviously is not an issue for us northern gardeners) and maybe roses, but it seems like it's rare for them to be that voracious or build up in large enough numbers to do any real damage. I don't worry about them.

Good, and they're kind of cute as far as bugs go. I just ordered some Datura seeds to plant in my veg trug. I think they're beautiful. Heard they're toxic and I think they actually might be in the same family as tomatoes, but can't recall if I'm correct about that. I am showing my newbie status, but I wonder if a plant is toxic and it's planted with vegetables etc., will that toxicity transfer in the soil to the plants that I will be eating down the road?

There's no danger of it making plants next to it poisonous or anything. Just be careful about not ingesting it accidentally. If you're planning on planting a ton of them, you might want to make sure none of your neighbors is an amateur beekeeper, as the toxins can end up in the honey.

Two more questions: I'm not going to plant a lot, but now that you mention toxins in honey, does that mean it's poisonous to bees? If so, I won't plant them. Second: my tomatoes are indeterminate and are getting a little lopsided and tall - I have them in cages. What would you recommend to use to straighten them? I don't want to pull the cages out -don't want to disrupt the roots. I was thinking 6 foot dowels and then tying to the dowel.

Beautiful tomato! Re: datura--it's not toxic to the bees. Re: tomatoes outgrowing their cages--if you have the space, let them drape over the side and grow downward. At the end of the month, you might want to start pruning off any new growth, since it's unlikely there will be time for any new fruit that sets after that point to ripen before frost.

Thank you! Very exciting to pick my first tomato (what a nerd!). Interesting regarding letting them drape - very cool - I will try that - I might have some space left. Okay thanks re Datura. Some people on a Hummingbird site were talking about Datura and said hummingbirds like it (I have hummingbird feeders) but that it's toxic to dogs and cats. I hope my neighborhood cats don't eat it. Can't imagine them climbing up on my VegTrug to get at it.