Apion astragali Thunberg, 1815: 118 Fig. 3

Original description.

A. Astragali: caerulescens nitidus, elytris striatis.

Habitat in Vestrogothia Sveciae.

Totus supra nitens, caerulescens; subtus magis niger magnitudine pediculi.

Elytra gibba, striata.

Material studied.

I have received three specimens with red type labels as above, carrying the numbers 1206, 1289 and 1290. Only specimen nr. 1289 has an additional label reading “Vestrog.” . This specimen, pinned high on a long pin with head, is a female Pseudoprotapion astragali (Paykull, 1800) and is here designated as lectotype. This allows establishment of the following new synonymy: Pseudoprotapion astragali (Paykull, 1800) = Apion astragali Thunberg, 1815. Specimen 1206 is a male of the same species and is designated as paralectotype. However, specimen 1290 does not fit the original description and is not considered to represent a syntype, not being bright bluish as the others but dull bronze-black. It is a female of Aspidapion radiolus (Marsham, 1802). Thunberg’s original species label of this specimen carries a question mark and the letter β, in contrast with the other two, which carry the letter α .