Western Plant Bug vs Pear Psylla

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Western Plant Bug Pear Psylla
Scientific Name Lygus hesperus Cacopsylla pyri
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Miridae Psyllidae
Size 5-6 mm 2-3 mm
Habitat Farmland Orchards
Diet Sap Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions Western North America Europe, Western North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Western Plant Bug

A small, oval plant bug that is one of the most important cotton pests in the western United States. It is variable in color from pale green to dark brown. Feeding on cotton squares causes them to abscise, resulting in yield losses.

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Did You Know?

When alfalfa hay is harvested, millions of these bugs take flight simultaneously and can migrate en masse to nearby cotton fields, causing sudden severe damage.

Pear Psylla

A small winged psyllid that is the most important insect pest of European pear orchards. Nymphs produce copious honeydew that causes fruit russeting and sooty mold.

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Did You Know?

It can inject a toxin while feeding that causes a condition called psylla shock, which can kill young pear trees.