Uroleucon (Uromelan) carthami ( Hille Ris Lambers, 1948 )

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 : 472-475

Uroleucon (Uromelan) carthami ( Hille Ris Lambers, 1948)

The apterae exhibit a dark brown to blackish-brown colour in life, with a body length ranging from 2.1 to 3.3 mm. These aphids are found on Carthamus spp. In European literature, there is occasional confusion with the closely related U. jaceae and U. aeneum , typically associated with other Cynareae but occasionally found on Carthamus ( Nieto Nafría et al., 1986; Blackman & Eastop, 2024). The sexual morphs and life cycle of this species so far remain unknown. This aphid species is reported from southern and central Europe, Algeria, Israel, Lebanon, Türkiye, and extends eastward to Pakistan and India (Kashmir) ( Blackman & Eastop, 2024). Uroleucon carthami has been reported from several provinces in Iran including Alborz, Fars, Kerman, Markazi, North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Tehran, West Azerbaijan; however, the report of this aphid on Centaurea iberica from Markazi province by Alikhani et al. (2010) needs further confirmation. This is most likely U. jaceae , a species very close to U. carthami .

In 1948, Hille Ris Lambers described U. carthami based on a few apterous and alatae viviparous females collected on C. glaucus . While the author acknowledged the strong similarity between U. carthami and U. jaceae , but did not provide clear distinguishing differences between these two species, unless stating that: U. carthami bears a strong resemblance to U. jaceae , yet there are distinct features that set them apart. Unlike U. jaceae and its subspecies, where the rhinaria on the third antennal segment are small, they are noticeably larger in U. carthami and cover a slightly larger portion of the segment in apterae. The siphunculi exhibit marked differences, being much stouter, and the subapical constriction imparts a distinctive appearance ( Hille Ris Lambers, 1948). Upon examining numerous specimens in this study, it became evident that differentiating between Iranian populations of U. carthami and U. jaceae collected on Carthamus spp. poses a significant challenge. These specimens exhibit overlapping biometric characteristics utilized in identification keys, such as the Carthamus key in Blackman and Eastop (2024) and also Eastop (1985). In the Blackman and Eastop (2024) identification key for aphids on Carthamus , the distinguishing features of the two species are: URS/ANTVIb (1.05–1.4 for U. carthami and 0.95–1.15 for U. jaceae ), number of rhinaria on ANTIII (15–34 for U. carthami and 23– 45 for U. jaceae ) and number of hairs on cauda (19–29 for U. carthami and 13–28 for U. jaceae ) while for the Iranian populations they are (0.99)1.01–1.31 for U. carthami and 0.89–1.22 for U. jaceae , 15–39(49) for U. carthami and 21–55(61) for U. jaceae , and 18–32 for U. carthami and 18–30 for U. jaceae , respectively. These differences practically do not help to separate these two species reliably at least for Iranian populations. Sedighi et al. (2020) in their paper indicated the presence of an unknown Uroleucon species on Carthamus lanatus in Sisab, North Khorasan province. Further examinations of those specimens were conducted in this study, and eventually, they were identified as U. carthami .

Description. Alate male (n=10, ARG00587) ( Figs 1–2). Colour in life is dark red to blackish-brown. Color of mounted specimens: head and thorax brown; ANTI, ANTII and ANTIII dark brown except basal part of ANTIII; ANTIV-VI paler; URS dark brown; coxae brown; trochanter dusky with the same color as basal part of femora; femora dusky with dark brown distal halves; tibiae brown with dark brown apices; tarsi dark brown; SIPH dark brown; cauda brown ( Fig. 1).

Body elongated spindle-shaped; head smooth; antennal tubercles moderately developed. BL (excluding cauda) 2.04–2.55 mm. Head with fine setae with pointed apices, 0.027 –0.044 mm long. ANT 2.59–2.92 mm, 1.12–1.29 × BL. ANTI 0.12–0.13 mm. ANTII 0.08–0.09 mm. ANTIII 0.66–0.78 mm, with 36–53 mostly rounded, different-sized secondary rhinaria which distributed on almost whole length of ANTIII ( Fig. 2B). ANTIV 0.45–0.54 mm, with 4–12 secondary rhinaria ( Fig. 2C). ANTV 0.43–0.54 mm, with 8–14 secondary rhinaria ( Fig. 2D). ANTVI 0.85–0.96 mm, ANTVIb 0.15–0.18 mm, PT 0.70–0.79 mm, 1.40–1.57 × HW, 1.24–1.56 × SIPH and 4.31–4.61 × ANTVIb. Other antennal ratios: ANTIII / ANTIV 1.35 – 1.55 , ANTVI / ANTIII 1.16 – 1.39 , ANTV / ANTIII 0.63–0.71, ANTIV / ANTIII 0.64–0.74, PT/ ANTIII 0.94–1.14, PT/ ANTIV 1.37 – 1.59 , PT/ ANTV 1.40 – 1.70 . LHANTIII 0.025 –0.032 mm long, 0.80–1.04 × BDANTIII. HW 0.46–0.52 mm, 0.88–1.07 × SIPH. Rostrum passing mid-leg coxa. URS 0.17–0.18 mm, 0.33–0.38 × HW, 0.22–0.26 × ANTIII, 0.18–0.21 × ANTVI, 0.22–0.25 × PT, 1.01–1.13 × ANTVIb, 0.31–0.38 × SIPH and 1.41–1.73 × HTII, with 8–9 accessory setae ( Fig. 2I). HF 0.83–0.97 mm. HT 1.53–1.77 mm, 0.65–0.80 × BL .

First tarsal segment with 5:5:5 setae. HTII 0.10–0.13 mm, 0.14–0.16 × PT and 0.62–0.72 × ANTVIb. Abdomen membranous, with oval marginal scleroites containing very small marginal tubercles and fine setae with pointed apices. ABDTVIII with (3)4–5 long setae. SIPH with ante- and post-siphuncular sclerites ( Fig. 2F). SIPH 0.47–0.58 mm, tubular, slightly tapering, with subapical reticulation covering 15–21% of the distal length of SIPH ( Fig. 2H). SIPH 2.18–2.70 × Cauda, 0.20–0.25 × BL, 0.67–0.76 × ANTIII, 0.64–0.81 × PT, 2.64–3.22 × URS, 4.21–5.02 × HTII and 0.94–1.13 × HW. Cauda long-triangular, 0.17– 0.24 mm long, 0.37–0.48 × HW, 0.99–1.34 × URS, 0.07–0.10 × BL, with (15)17–22 fine long setae mostly on its apex. Parameres long triangular covered with fine, pointed setae. Basal part of phallus as long as or slightly longer than parameres ( Fig. 2J).

Material examined. ARG00074: Iran, Kerman province, Kohpayeh , alt. 2080 m., on Carthamus oxyacantha , 19-V-2006, leg. Mohsen Mehrparvar. ARG00282: Iran, Fars province, Eghlid , alt. 2241 m., on Carthamus oxyacantha , 4-VIII-2020, leg. Moein Rokni. ARG00289: Iran, Razavi-Khorasan province, Kashmar , alt. 1053 m., on Carthamus oxyacantha , 20-V-2020, leg. Mohammad Mollazadeh. ARG00573: Iran, Kerman province, Mahan , alt. 1908 m., on Carthamus oxyacantha , 28-IV-2007, leg. Mohsen Mehrparvar. ARG00575: Iran, Fars province, Estahban , alt. 1902 m., on Carthamus oxyacantha , 28-V-2021, leg. Moein Rokni. ARG00576: Iran, Fars province, Bamou National Park , alt. 1760 m., on Carthamus oxyacantha , 7-V-2021, leg. Moein Rokni. ARG00578: Iran, Kerman province, Mahan , alt. 1929 m., on Carthamus oxyacantha , 17-VI-2015, leg. Mohsen Mehrparvar.

ARG00574: Iran, Kerman province, Khabr , alt. 2102 m., on Carthamus lanatus , 12-V-2016, leg. Moein Rokni. ARG00572: Iran, Kerman province, Shahdad , alt. 492 m., on Carthamus tinctorius , 9-III-2007, leg. Mohsen Mehrparvar. ARG00587: Iran, Kerman province, Mahan , alt. 1929 m., on Carthamus oxyacantha , VIII-2014, leg. Zahra Gorji. ARG00590: Iran, North Khorasan province, Maneh and Samalqan , alt. 695 m., on Carthamus lanatus , 5-IV-2017, leg. Neda Sedighi. ARG00591: Iran, North Khorasan province, Maneh and Samalqan , alt. 846 m., on Carthamus lanatus , 5-IV-2017, leg. Neda Sedighi. ARG00592: Iran, Isfahan province, Isfahan-IUT, alt. 1630 m., on Carthamus tinctorius , 2014, leg. Zahra Gorji. ARG00595: Iran, Kerman province, Mahan-KGUT, alt. 1929 m., on Carthamus tinctorius , 15-X-2014, leg. Zahra Gorji. ARG00596: Iran, Kerman province, Mahan-KGUT, alt. 1929 m., on Carthamus tinctorius , 3-XII-2014, leg. Zahra Gorji. ARG00597: Iran, North Khorasan province, Maneh and Samalqan , alt. 644 m., on Carthamus lanatus , 26-V-2017, leg. Neda Sedighi. ARG00598: Iran, North Khorasan province, Sisab , alt. 1079 m., on Carthamus lanatus , 24-V-2017, leg. Neda Sedighi. ARG00599: Iran, North Khorasan province, Sisab , alt. 1075 m., on Carthamus lanatus , 21-V-2017, leg. Neda Sedighi. ARG00602: Iran, Kerman province, Baft , alt. 2066 m., on Carthamus oxyacantha , 27-V-2016, leg. Moein Rokni. ARG00603: Iran, Kerman province, Mahan-KGUT, alt. 1929 m., on Carthamus oxyacantha , 14-V-2007, leg. Mohsen Mehrparvar.