About Uroleucon sonchi (Linnaeus, 1767)
Uroleucon sonchi (Linnaeus, 1767) is a species of aphid in the family Aphididae. It has two common names: the large sow-thistle aphid, and the brown lettuce aphid. It is native to Europe, and has been introduced to many other countries. Its native range covers the broader Palaearctic region, and it is now found in North and South America, the Middle East, Yemen, Africa, India, Japan, China, Korea, New Zealand, and Australia, where it has been present since 1995. This aphid principally feeds on Sonchus, the sow thistle genus, but it is also a known pest of cultivated lettuce. It feeds on many plants in the plant family Asteraceae, mostly from the tribe Lactuceae. Recorded host plants include Sonchus oleraceus and other Sonchus species, lettuce and other Lactuca species, endive, Emilia sonchifolia, Geropogon glabrum, and Picris hieracioides.
