Studies were initiated in 2004 to survey the arthropod species inhabiting two new crops for desert agricultural production, Lesquerella and Guayule. Lesquerella is an oil-seed crop that produces a number of high quality oils with industrial and cosmetic applications. Guayule produces a non-allergenic latex useful in medical and industrial applications. Commercial cultivars of both crops have been selected from natural populations found in the desert southwest of the U.S. Both plants harbor a diverse array of insects and spiders with many species shared with cotton and alfalfa in the western U.S. Preliminary field and greenhouse studies were conducted in 2005 to evaluate the impact of Lygus hesperus on the yield and quality of Lesquerella.