Biology:Uroleucon sonchi

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Short description: Species of true bug

Uroleucon sonchi
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
Family: Aphididae
Genus: Uroleucon
Species:
U. sonchi
Binomial name
Uroleucon sonchi
(Linnaeus, 1767)

Uroleucon sonchi is a species of aphid in the family Aphididae. Known as the large sow-thistle aphid, it is a native of Europe, and has been introduced to several other countries.[1][2][3][4] It principally feeds on the sow thistle (Sonchus sp.) but is also a pest of cultivated lettuce, and so is also known as the brown lettuce aphid.[5]

Distribution

Uroleucon sonchi is native to the Palaearctic region, but is now found in North and South America, the Middle East, Yemen, Africa, India, Japan, China, Korea, New Zealand, and (since 1995) Australia.[6]

Ecology

This species feeds on many plants in the Asteraceae, mostly the tribe Lactuceae: sow-thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) and other Sonchus species, lettuce and other Lactuca species, endive, Emilia sonchifolia, Geropogon glabrum, and Picris hieracioides.[6]

Parasites

The parasite Aphidius sonchi, ostensibly a specialised parasite of Hyperomyzus lactucae, has been reared occasionally from U. sonchi.[6]

Subspecies

These three subspecies belong to the species Uroleucon sonchi:

  • Uroleucon sonchi afghanicum (Narzikulov & Umarov, 1972)
  • Uroleucon sonchi sonchi (Linnaeus, 1767)
  • Uroleucon sonchi stepposa

References

Wikidata ☰ Q10710820 entry