• Tomatoes are prey to several caterpillars, as well as beetles.tomatoes image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
  
  Tomatoes are among the most popular vegetables to grow in the home garden. Unfortunately, they are also popular with many pests. Insects that chew holes in the new leaves of tomato plants tend to do less damage than those that eat the fruit, but severe infestations may warrant treatment. Use an organic method such as Bacillus thuringiensis whenever possible to avoid destroying beneficial insects, such as lacewings and parasitic wasps.
  
  

Hornworms

• Hornworms are the most obvious pest in tomato plants. Reddish brown, they grow 3 to 4 inches long and may eat holes in the tomato leaves -- if you're lucky. More often, they devour the entire leaves at the top of the plant. Pick them off and destroy them or treat them with Bacillus thuringiensis while they are young.
  
  

Flea Beetles

• Flea beetles are very small, less than 1/4 inch, and may be black or brown. They chew small holes through tomato leaves. Flea beetles are believed to overwinter, making future crops more susceptible to infestations. Crop rotation may minimize damage, suggests the University of California Davis. Treat severe outbreaks with pyrethrin while plants are young. Older plants are usually able to withstand infestations.
  
  

Cabbage Looper

• Cabbage loopers are fat, green caterpillars with white stripes that live on the underside of tomato leaves. They crawl by arching their backs as they move along the plants.These insects eat the leaf tissue, leaving the veins behind, but rarely do enough damage to warrant treatment. Viruses and parasitic wasps usually control them, but treat severe infestations with Bacillus thuringiensis.
  
  

Beet Armyworm

• Beet armyworms are smaller than cabbage loopers, but are usually a dull green with small wavy lines on the back. They may also have a white stripe running down either side of the abdomen. These insects eat small, irregular holes in both the fruit and the leaves. They can cause considerable damage to commercial crops. Treat them with Bacillus thuringiensis in the home garden.