Brachycaudus (Prunaphis) cardui (Linnaeus, 1758)

Mehrparvar, Mohsen & Mirtadzadini, Mansour, 2024, Aphids associated with Carthamus in Iran with the description of the hitherto unknown male of Uroleucon carthami (Hille Ris Lambers, 1948) (Hemi.: Aphididae), Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 10 (3), pp. 467-483 : 470-471

Brachycaudus (Prunaphis) cardui (Linnaeus, 1758)

Apterae found on herbaceous plants exhibit a glossy black dorsal surface, while their ventral side appears light green to yellowish or reddish (immatures display green or reddish colour). They measure between 1.9 and 2.3 mm in body length. Brachycaudus cardui thrives in dense colonies attended by ants, residing on the stems and leaves of numerous plant species, especially on Asteraceae and Boraginaceae . This species is distributed across Europe, Asia, North Africa, and North America ( Blackman & Eastop, 2024). While it is prevalent across all provinces in Iran, the occurrence of this species on Carthamus has solely been documented by Sedighi et al. (2020) exclusively in North Khorasan province.

Material examined. ARG00580: Iran, North Khorasan province, Asadli , alt. 1910 m., on Carthamus lanatus , 6-I-2017, leg. Neda Sedighi. ARG00581: Iran, North Khorasan province, Asadli , alt. 1910 m., on Carthamus lanatus , 6-I-2017, leg. Neda Sedighi.