Despite the numerous molecular resources now available for pursuing functional genomics in insects, it still can be challenging to work with a non-model organism. Given that the preponderance of work in this area has been concentrated on just a few species (looking at you fruit flies), building up a new research program, from developing genetic databases to optimizing RNAi and CRISPR approaches, takes considerable effort, patience, and flexibility. Recent work with the western tarnished plant bug (Lygus hesperus Knight), a pest of numerous crops in the southwestern United States, will be reviewed to examine many of these pitfalls and to highlight the utility of these increasingly essential tools.
