In the Void

Aren't they gross? According to what I saw: Tomato hornworms feed only on solanaceous plants, most often on tomato. However, larvae will also attack eggplant, pepper, and potato. There are many solonaceous weeds that also serve as alternate hosts, including: horsenettle, jimsonweed and nightshade. The nightshade family is pretty big, I think... not sure where hollyhocks lie though. A search would probably show you.

If it was dead already, I'd guess it might have been dropped by a bird. You know they'll "hiss" at you when you get close to them. And they must taste horrible. I had a bulldog once that would go crazy over them and kill them if I picked them off and threw them at him -- but he wouldn't eat them. If he got them in his mouth, he'd lick and shake his head. I confess I'm rather scared of the silly things.

When I was 6 or 7, I had a pet tomato worm. I found "him" in the garden, put him in a jar with a helping of tomato leaves, and called him Herman. The next morning, I checked, and Herman was in an advanced state of decomposition. Tomato worms do not a good pet make...

My mother had hollyhocks all the time I was growing up, and never a tomato worm had she. Of course, she also had tomatoes without same. Are they climate sensitive? Maybe Upstate NY is just too frelling cold for them.

I was more thinking of what they don't like...

good