Question
Hi, I'm in the santa cruz mountains, I have a caterpiller living on a potted plant,(portulaca),
bright green, approx2+ inches long, yellow & some darker markings w/a yellow horn on it's backend. Curious to know what it my be. thanks, teresa

Answer
Sounds like either a tomato or tabacco hornworm. Thes are large caterpillars and can eat a great deal of leaf area. They will strip your potted plant in a short time. I would recommend you pick the caterpillars off the plant and destroy them or you will have no leaves on your plant. Here is a web link that discribes this insect.http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Pests/tomato.htm