What's eating my principe borghese tomato?

Principe Borghese, Italy's classic drying tomato, is vulnerable to hornworms and aphids like all tomatoes, but its small-fruited, compact clusters also attract birds and wasps probing ripe skins. Spider mites can be troublesome in hot, dry conditions. Hornworms remain the worst single threat to plant productivity.

Fast defoliation; green striped caterpillars strip stems; black frass on foliage Hand-pick at dusk; Bt spray on young larvae; interplant with dill to attract parasitic wasps

Ripe skins pecked or chewed open; clusters of ripe fruit targeted as they dry on the vine Harvest clusters as soon as fully ripe; fine mesh row cover during peak fruiting; exclude wasps with netting

Soft shoot tips colonized; honeydew attracts ants; growth stunts under heavy pressure Insecticidal soap spray; reflective mulch; encourage predators with companion flowers

Pale stippling on leaves; dusty webbing under leaves during hot, dry spells Mist foliage to raise humidity; neem oil or insecticidal soap spray on leaf undersides