what are these?
 

was out cutting dying branches off tomato plants, and found one that had a light brown section about 6 inches long and felt hollow, green on both sides of it, cut it open and found these black things inside, there was a line of them, some fell out, anyone know what they could be?---tom

I'm not sure, but could that be frass (caterpillar poo) or some other insect excrement? It does not appear to be eggs. I'm wondering if a hole was chewed into the stem and these just happened to fall in.

[QUOTE=MissS;665347]I'm wondering if a hole was chewed into the stem and these just happened to fall in.[/QUOTE]

Or the critter that left them chewed a hole in the stem and flew out!

encore,

looks like white mold:
[URL="https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2006/6-28/tomato_mold.html"]https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2006/6-28/tomato_mold.html[/URL]

Steve

[QUOTE=Heritage;665443]encore,

looks like white mold:
[URL="https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2006/6-28/tomato_mold.html"]https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2006/6-28/tomato_mold.html[/URL]

Steve[/QUOTE]

Steve, I think that you are right. I have never heard of this one before.

Thanks!

[QUOTE=MissS;665449]Steve, I think that you are right. I have never heard of this one before.

Thanks![/QUOTE]

Patti, I have seen it a few times on my greenhouse tomatoes and i see it quite often on my field dahlias (late in the season). It is an interesting disease. :)

thanks steve, that's exactly what it is.---tom