Research by vector biologist Tereza Magalhaes, Ph.D+., investigates the relationships between vectors like mosquitoes, the diseases they carry and factors that lead to outbreaks in human populations. Her goal is to better understand the conditions that fuel transmission to prevent outbreaks and protect public health. (Michael Miller/Texas A&M AgriLife)

Praying mantids are a distinctive predatory insect. Their forelegs are powerful, spiny tools the ambush predator uses to catch and subdue their prey. “They’ll eat pests, but they’ll also eat beneficial insects and pollinators, and even other mantids,” said Wizzie Brown, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension entomologist. “Food is food.” (Wizzie Brown/Texas A&M AgriLife)