1) IN 2013, THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES REPORTED THE INTRODUCTION OF AN INVASIVE APHID THAT RESULTED IN 50 TO 100% CROP LOSS. THE SORGHUM APHID CONTINUES TO REMAIN A PEST IN SORGHUM CROPS, AND ANNUALLY REQUIRES MANAGEMENT BY GROWERS, THROUGH A COMBINATION OF OPTIMIZING PLANTING DATES, SCOUTING, INSECTICIDE SPRAYS, AND CULTIVATION/RELEASE OF NATURAL ENEMIES. CURRENTLY, SORGHUM APHIDS ARE MANAGED SIMILARLY ACROSS REGIONS, WHILE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION WEATHER FOR THE SELECTION OF PLANTING DATES. HOWEVER, GENETIC DIFFERENCES AMONG POPULATIONS OF SORGHUM APHIDS COULD BE REFLECTIVE OF DIFFERENCES IN OTHER TRAITS. DIFFERENCES IN BIOLOGICALLY RELEVANT TRAITS THAT COULD IMPACT PEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES COULD INCLUDE INSECTICIDE RESISTANCE, SUSCEPTIBILITY TO PARASITOIDS, REPRODUCTIVE OUTPUT, ABILITY TO OVERCOME HOST PLANT DEFENSES, OR ATTRACTIVENESS TO ANT MUTUALISTS. IDENTIFYING THESE POPULATION LEVEL GENETIC DIFFERENCES ALLOWS FOR OTHER PROJECTS TO EXAMINE POTENTIAL TRAIT DIFFERENCES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO PEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. IN ADDITION, ONE OF THE FOLLOW-UP GOALS OF THIS PROJECT IS TO GENERATE DIAGNOSTIC MOLECULAR MARKERS THAT COULD AID IN SCREENING OF THESE DIFFERENT POPULATIONS THAT POTENTIALLY HAVE DIFFERENCES AMONG BIOLOGICALLY RELEVANT TRAITS. KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THIS PROJECT MAY AID IN PROMOTING MORE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE WHILE ALSO REDUCING THE ECONOMIC LOSS THAT RESULTS FROM SORGHUM APHID DAMAGE TO SORGHUM CROPS. THIS COULD ENHANCE SORGHUM GROWER'S LIVELIHOOD WHILE ALSO PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MORE TARGETED PEST MANAGEMENT.2) THIS PROJECT COLLECTED SORGHUM APHIDS FROM TEXAS AS WELL AS OTHER STATES THAT ARE IMPACTED BY THIS INVASIVE PEST'S DAMAGE TO SORGHUM CROPS. APHIDS FROM DIFFERENT COLLECTION LOCATIONS UNDERWENT MOLECULAR EXTRACTION AND THE EXTRACTED GENETIC MATERIAL WAS SENT OFF FOR SEQUENCING. THE GENOMIC SEQUENCING GENERATED RAW DATA READS THAT WERE FILTERED AND ANALYZED AGAINST A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE REFERENCE GENOME FOR SORGHUM APHIDS WITH THE STACKS PIPELINE ON A SUPERCOMPUTING CLUSTER. THEN THIS FILTERED DATA WAS RUN THROUGH THE PROGRAM STRUCUTRE AND THE OPEN-SOURCE PROGRAM POPHELPER THROUGH THE SOFTWARE R SOFTWARE TO IDENTIFY THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT GENETIC POPULATIONS. CURRENTLY THOSE SAME RAW READS ARE BEING FILTERED AND ANALYZED AGAINST A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE REFERENCE GENOME FOR THE BACTERIAL SYMBIONT, BUCHNERA APHIDICOLA, WITH THE STACKS PIPELINE. THE NEXT STEPS WILL BE TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENCES IN GENE REGIONS OF INTEREST AMONG THE BACTERIAL SYMBIONT AND EVALUATE WHETHER THESE DIFFERENCES PROVIDE BENEFITS TO POPULATIONS OF APHIDS THAT HAVE THEM. 3) THE ULTIMATE GOALS THAT THIS PROJECT HOPES TO ACHIEVE IS TO IDENTIFY POPULATION GENETIC DIFFERENCES AMONG SORGHUM APHIDS, HIGHLIGHT THAT INVASIVE SPECIES CAN OFTEN HAVE MULTIPLE INTRODUCTIONS, AND THAT INFORMATION ABOUT PEST POPULATION GENETICS CAN BE USED TO PROMOTE MORE TAILORED PEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT CAN REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND ENHANCES GROWE,R'S YIELDS AND PROFITABILITY. IF THESE GOALS ARE MET, THIS WOULD BE IMPACTFUL NOT ONLY FROM AN ECONOMIC STANDPOINT, BUT WOULD ALSO PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER INVASIVE PEST SYSTEMS ON HOW TAILORED MANAGEMENT PRACTICES CAN REDUCE PEST PRESSURES WHILE PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. THE POTENTIAL SOCIETAL BENEFITS OF THIS PROJECT ARE ENHANCED FOOD SECURITY FOR CATTLE VIA FORAGE SORGHUM, AND POTENTIAL ENHANCEMENT OF BIOFUELS OR SYRUP SORGHUM. ADDITIONALLY, IF THIS PROJECT SUCCESSFULLY PROMOTES TAILORED MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, THIS MAY REDUCE OFF-TARGET EFFECTS TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT AND PEOPLE.