| Western tarnished plant bug | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Family: | Miridae |
| Genus: | Lygus |
| Species: | L. hesperus |
| Binomial name | |
| Lygus hesperus (Knight, 1917) |
|
The Western tarnished plant bug (Lygus hesperus) is a serious pest of cotton, strawberries, and seed crops such as alfalfa. In the state of California alone the bug causes US$30 million in damage to cotton plants each year, and at least US$40 million in losses to the state's strawberry industry.