Always Google first. I should know this by now! But seriously, what was I to think when I saw this guy in my garden?
My first inclination, when I saw this horn worm festooned with white eggs was, “Get it off get it off get it off!” And sadly, that’s what I did. Turns out, mutant horn worms are actually a good thing.
After googling, I discovered that the horn worm clinging to my bell pepper plant was actually playing host to Braconid Wasp eggs, which would have eventually killed it. Once the eggs hatched, the resulting wasps would have done the same to all his friends. Oh well. Live and learn!
Definitely the strangest thing I’ve seen in my garden this season. What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen in yours?
Clover and Thyme 
Yikes! I think if I saw that on my plant, I would hae done the same thing you did! What a strange looking creature! The strangest thing I’ve seen in my garden this year, and they really aren’t strange, just pesky, are teeny, tiny little mice that were building a nest at the base of one of my plants and destroying it. We got rid of all 7 of those little critters, and my plant is coming back to life again. Oh the adventures of a garden! 🙂 Let’s just say it’s a good thing we aren’t counting on my gardening skills for our food supply! HA!
Glad your plant is rebounding! Yes, if we were counting on my gardening skills to get us through the winter, we’d never make it! 🙂
I did the something similar this summer when I found one of those hanging on a tomato plant. I removed it and placed it in the nearby woods (which probably did kill it or made it susceptible to being eaten by something else). When I discovered what it truly was, I could have kicked myself all over the yard for being so foolish!
Well, at least I’m not the only one! I could have kicked myself too! But seriously, who would have guessed that was a beneficial?!? LOL thanks for the visit!