What is this large bug please?

...and what will it turn into, if anything?!

Not a macro shooter at all. Went to dump a pitcher of water on this plant and spotted this creature. Approx 4" in length and a good 1/2" in diameter. Large stinger at end of abdomen.

Shot taken with a 35L, 5D2 on a tripod for stability. No processing other than a bit of sharpening and color correction. Thanks in advance for your information about the creature.

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It looks a little like the Manduca sexta from a brief search.. (but I know nothing so treat it as a tip!).

http://en.wikipedia.or​g/wiki/Manduca_sexta

Was it on a tomato plant?

Bas.

We always just called them tomato bugs. They used to freak my mother out terribly .

BasAndrews wrote in post #13030968
It looks a little like the Manduca sexta from a brief search.. (but I know nothing so treat it as a tip!).

http://en.wikipedia.or​g/wiki/Manduca_sexta

Was it on a tomato plant?

Bas.

Not a tomato plant. Was eating the leaves (mostly) and blooms on your standard potted Petunia plant.

dave

Wallace River wrote in post #13030993
We always just called them tomato bugs. They used to freak my mother out terribly .

No wonder. It was quite LARGE! My guess was some sort of caterpillar, but it's kind of late in the year to be in this state.

Again, not much of a macro guy or bug shooter. Didn't want to disturb his work so I watered the OTHER plant and left this guy to his business.

dave

Wallace River wrote in post #13030993
We always just called them tomato bugs. They used to freak my mother out terribly .

Tomato Hornworm it is. Snipped from a gardening site after a search on your call of 'tomato bug.'

Tomato Hornworm

Not wanting to be pedantic but I think it's actually a Tobacco Hornworm. A very similar caterpillar but with subtly different markings to the Tomato Hornworm.

djbek4 wrote in post #13031393
Not wanting to be pedantic but I think it's actually a Tobacco Hornworm. A very similar caterpillar but with subtly different markings to the Tomato Hornworm.

You mean the insect in my original post is a Tobacco Hornworm or the image I posted from the garden site is a Tobacco Hornworm?

What is the creature in my original post, please? Thanks!

dave

The original post image is of the Tobacco Hornworm, the second image is of the Tomato Hornworm.

djbek4 wrote in post #13031652
The original post image is of the Tobacco Hornworm, the second image is of the Tomato Hornworm.

And for the original post I put the link to the tobacco Hornworm, as it matched your image pretty well.

http://en.wikipedia.or​g/wiki/Manduca_sexta

BasAndrews wrote in post #13031751
And for the original post I put the link to the tobacco Hornworm, as it matched your image pretty well.

http://en.wikipedia.or​g/wiki/Manduca_sexta

Thanks for the clarification. Thing was attached to, and eating ALL OF a potted petunia plant hanging on the back deck of the home.

dave