What the...????

Okay, I've been blaming the neighbor's struggle with a large groundhog for the various half-eaten tomatoes on the vine. Then today I was picking ripe tomatoes and found some strange looking "droppings" on some of the leaves. Then I saw the half-eaten tomato in the picture... It took my eyes a couple moments to focus on the freaky bug sitting on the branch munching on the half-eaten tomato. Yes, I screamed a little and did a girlie freak-out dance for a few minutes before I could compose myself.

Last year I found a smaller tomato hornworm on my cherry tomato plant, but it was NO WAY as large as this one.

Since I couldn't bring myself to squish a bug this big I took a large leaf garbage bag and tied it shut and threw it in the garbage. Do you think it can find its way out? I sure hope not....

By the way, that's a full-sized tomato in the picture...