Lasioptera vitis

Tomato To*ma"to, n.; pl. {Tomatoes}. [Sp. or Pg. tomate, of American Indian origin; cf. Mexican tomail.] (Bot.) The fruit of a plant of the Nightshade family ({Lycopersicum esculentun}); also, the plant itself. The fruit, which is called also {love apple}, is usually of a rounded, flattened form, but often irregular in shape. It is of a bright red or yellow color, and is eaten either cooked or uncooked. [1913 Webster]

{Tomato gall} (Zo["o]l.), a large gall consisting of a mass of irregular swellings on the stems and leaves of grapevines. They are yellowish green, somewhat tinged with red, and produced by the larva of a small two-winged fly ({Lasioptera vitis}).

{Tomato sphinx} (Zo["o]l.), the adult or imago of the {tomato worm}. It closely resembles the tobacco hawk moth. Called also {tomato hawk moth}. See Illust. of {Hawk moth}.

{Tomato worm} (Zo["o]l.), the larva of a large hawk moth ({Manduca quinquemaculata}, {Protoparce quinquemaculata}, {Sphinx quinquemaculata}, or {Macrosila quinquemaculata}) which feeds upon the leaves of the tomato and potato plants, often doing considerable damage. Called also {tomato hornworm} and {potato worm}, and in the Southern U. S. {tobacco fly}. [1913 Webster +PJC]