“One of my lines of research focuses on invasive sorghum aphids, which are a pest to grain sorghum crops,” says Jocelyn Holt, Ph.D. “These aphids also feed on invasive Johnson grass, a plant closely related to sorghum. By analyzing similarities and differences in insect traits, such as insect genetic and microbial composition and when they occur in agricultural crops versus on other host plants, we can better inform management practices. Here I am in my field clothes next to a patch of Johnson grass that is full of sorghum aphids. After the photo, I collected some aphids to keep as a colony for a future experiment.”