Tomato hornworm caterpillars may consume large quantities of foliage and green fruit. Hand picking and destruction of the caterpillars, and tillage after harvest to destroy soil-borne pupae are effective controls. Aphids are small soft-bodied, often greenish, insects which feed by sucking on the undersides of leaves and the tender terminal growth. Their feeding can cause curling of the foliage. They are carriers of several virus diseases.
Whiteflies are small white insects which feed on the undersides of leaves.
The juvenile stage resembles a small scale-like insect. They are sucking insects which excrete a sugary substance called honeydew which supports a blackish fungus called sooty mold. When disturbed, the adults fly about for a few moments. Yellow sticky traps can be used to control and monitor the populations. Spider mites and rust mites cause a yellowing to russeting of the foliage while rust mites also attack the fruit.