tobacco hornworm
noun
: an American hawk moth (Manduca sexta) whose large usually green larva is a hornworm that feeds on the leaves of plants of the nightshade family and especially tobacco and tomato
Examples of tobacco hornworm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Certain caterpillars, like the tomato hornworm and tobacco hornworm, can destroy 90% of the foliage on tomato plants and can even feed on green fruit.
—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
3 June 2026
However, the tobacco hornworm caterpillar (Manduca sexta) has a very different strategy.
—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Aug. 2025
The team found that hungry tobacco hornworms (Manduca sexta) intensively attacked the non-emitting leaves, leaving the isoprene-emitting leaves alone.
—
Jay Kakade
june 30,
New Atlas,
30 June 2025
Thus, something unique to the bite of the tobacco hornworm induces a rearrangement around the double bond of GLVs [Ars Technica].
—
Andrew Moseman,
Discover Magazine,
26 Aug. 2010
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Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
3 June 2026
However, the tobacco hornworm caterpillar (Manduca sexta) has a very different strategy.
—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Aug. 2025
The team found that hungry tobacco hornworms (Manduca sexta) intensively attacked the non-emitting leaves, leaving the isoprene-emitting leaves alone.
—
Jay Kakade
june 30,
New Atlas,
30 June 2025
Thus, something unique to the bite of the tobacco hornworm induces a rearrangement around the double bond of GLVs [Ars Technica].
—
Andrew Moseman,
Discover Magazine,
26 Aug. 2010
Cite this Entry
“Tobacco hornworm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tobacco%20hornworm. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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