Hornworm invasion

A tomato or tobacco hornworm, or something resembling one, devoured my tomato plant within hours this morning. The top half of the plant is gone, esentially deadheaded prematurely. The critter even gnawed half of a ripening tomato. Fortunately, I removed the pest before it munched the larger green tomatoes...I tossed the sucker in the street because I couldn't bring myself to squish it. If I find it on my plants again, I may muster the courage!