Stilt Bug
Jalysus sp.
Photographed June 2011 in Glendale, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA. The specimen is less than 8 mm. The host plant is a weed, Gaura mollis
Berytidae -- Stilt Bug Family
Stilt Bugs are plant feeders and are rarely abundant enough to cause any serious damage to crops or garden plants. The feed almost exclussively on buds and developing seeds using their equally long and slender mouth parts as drinking straws. There are several species belonging to this genus that require magnification for accurate identification. However, some species are known to cause damage to cultivated tobacco and fruit tomatoes. The long legs may serve these insects by alerting them to an imminent attack.