Tetragonoschema (Tetragonoschema) strandi, Obenberger, 1924

(Figs. 26, 52, 60, 77)

Tetragonoschema strandi Obenberger, 1924: 71 . Type locality: Argentina, Rio Salado.

Tetragonoschema strandi: Obenberger, 1930: 559 (catalogue); Blackwelder, 1944: 315 (checklist); Théry, 1944: 23 (revision, redescription, key); Bellamy, 2008: 1521 (catalogue).

Tetragonoschema albopilosa Hoscheck, 1931b: 742, syn. nov. Type locality: Argentina, Santiago del Estero.

Tetragonoschema albopilosa: Blackwelder, 1944: 315 (checklist); Théry, 1944: 11 ( albopilosum, revision, redescription, key); Bellamy, 2008: 1518 ( albopilosum, catalogue).

Tetragonoschema crassum Théry, 1944: 14, syn. nov. Type locality: Argentina, Santiago del Estero, Icaño, Rio Salado.

Tetragonoschema crassum: Bellamy, 2008: 1519 (catalogue).

Type specimens studied. T. strandi (number of syntypes unknown), lectotype (Fig. 26), here designated (female, NMPC): “Argent.[ine], Rio Salado [h] // Typus [p, red] // Tetragonoschema strandi m. Type [h] Det. D r. Obenberger [p] // Mus. Nat. Pragae Inv. [p] 22836 [h]” . T. albopilosa: (number of syntypes unknown) lectotype (Fig. 27), here designated, (male, ISNB): “ Argentinien, Santiago del Estero [p] // Coll. R. I. Sc. N. B. Argentina [p, violet] // Tetragonoschema albopilosa m. n. sp., Typ [p] Det. Hoscheck 1931 [h] // Syntype [p, red]” . T. crassum (number of syntypes unknown), lectotype (Fig. 28), here designated (male, MNHN): “Museum Paris, [Argentina] Chaco de Santiago del Estero, Bords du Rio Salado, env. d´Icaño, 1910, E. R. Wagner [p] // crassum Théry [h] Type [p]” .

Further specimens studied. ARGENTINA. CHUBUT: Desembocadura Río Chubut, 20.i.–7.ii.2011, D. Rojas Lanus leg. (4 males, 1 female, MDCS); SAN JUAN: Difunta Correa, 6.xii.1999, G. Arriagada leg. on Opuntia flowers (1 male, MDCS) ; SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO: Chaco, coll. Le Moult (1 female, ISNB); Rio Salado, Wagner leg. (1 female, NMPC; 2 females MFCB); TUCUMÁN: Guardamontes, xi.1946, Golbach leg. (1 male, MNCN; 1 male, NHMB) .

Diagnosis. This is one of the species with the elytra nearly as wide as long, and wide elytral epipleura easily visible from above (Fig. 60); frons widely, shallowly grooved, with rather long, white pubescence; pronotum strongly convex with indistinct lateroposterior depressions and short, white pubescence; antennae extremely short, scarcely reaching the anterior pronotal quarter when laid alongside the prontum; aedeagus short and very robust, with small preapical spines (Fig. 77).

Length: 4.5–5.5 mm.

Since the number of syntypes of T. strandi is unknown I hereby designate the female of T. strandi from NMPC as the lectotype.

Since the number of syntypes of T. albopilosum and T. crassum are also unknown and to avoid any confusion in the future I hereby designate the following lectotypes: the male of T. albopilosum from ISNB as the lectotype of T. albopilosa and the male of T. crassum from MNHN as the lectotype of T. crassum .

Having studied types of all species included in the synonymy I fail to find any differences and I conclude they are conspecific, T. (T.) albopilosa and T. (T.) crassum being junior synonyms of T. strandi . Both the lectotypes of T. (T.) albopilosa and T. (T.) crassum completely match the lectotype of T. (T.) strandi and I have no doubt about their conspecificity.

Bionomy. Unknown.

Sexual dimorphism. The female differs from the male only in the larger and stouter body.

Distribution. Argentina.