This is an AntWiki Report

The following species and subspecies belong to the genus Messor. Synonyms are listed under their senior names. For valid names only see Messor species and for distribution information see Messor species by Country.

A

abdelazizi Santschi, 1921 (Morocco)
aciculatus (Smith, F., 1874) (China, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation)
• Messor barbarus lobulifera Emery, 1901
• Stenamma aciculatum brunneicorne Forel, 1901

aciculatus risianus Forel, 1922 (China)
aegyptiacus (Emery, 1878) (Egypt, Israel, Morocco)
aegyptiacus canaliculatus Donisthorpe, 1944 (Algeria)
aegyptiacus felah Santschi, 1923 (Egypt, Israel)
aegyptiacus fossulatus Santschi, 1923 (Algeria, Tunisia)
• Messor foreli surcoufi Santschi, 1923

aegyptiacus tunetinus Santschi, 1923 (Algeria, Tunisia)
alexandri Tohmé, G. & Tohmé, H., 1981 (Greece, Iran, Israel, Syria, Türkiye)
angularis Santschi, 1928 (Kenya)
antennatus Emery, 1908 (Algeria, Morocco)
antennatus fodorii Röszler, 1942 (Greece)
antennatus personatus Santschi, 1931 (Morocco)
aphaenogasteroides Pisarski, 1967 (Afghanistan)
aralocaspius (Ruzsky, 1902) (China, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan)
aralocaspius infumatus Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929 (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan)
arenarius (Fabricius, 1787) (Algeria, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia)
   • Messor barbarus beduinus Emery, 1922
   • Myrmica amaurocyclia Foerster, 1850
   • Myrmica scalpturata Nylander, 1856
   • Stenamma bugnioni Forel, 1904

arenarius alfierii Santschi, 1938 (Egypt)
arenarius diabolus Santschi, 1938 (Egypt)
arenarius ratus Menozzi, 1933 (Israel)
arenarius thebaicus Santschi, 1912 (Egypt)
asmaae (Sharaf, 2018) (Oman)
atanassovii Atanassov, 1982 (Bulgaria, Greece)

B

barbarus (Linnaeus, 1767) (Algeria, Balearic Islands, Bulgaria, Egypt, France, Gibraltar, Iberian Peninsula, Monaco, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Tunisia)
   • Formica binodis Fabricius, 1775
   • Formica juvenilis Fabricius, 1804
   • Formica megacephala Leach, 1825
   • Messor barbarus nigriceps Santschi, 1925
   • Myrmica rufitarsis Foerster, 1850

barbarus gallaoides Santschi, 1929 (Morocco)
barbarus politus Karavaiev, 1912 (Algeria)
• Messor barbarus ambiguus Santschi, 1925
• Messor barbarus dentiscapus Finzi, 1930

barbarus sahlbergi Forel, 1913 (Egypt)
berbericus Bernard, 1955 (Algeria)
bernardi Cagniant, 1967 (Algeria)
bouvieri Bondroit, 1918 (Balearic Islands, France, Gibraltar, Iberian Peninsula, Malta, Portugal, Spain)
boyeri Cagniant, 2006 (Morocco)
brevispinosus Santschi, 1923 (Algeria, Morocco)
bucephalus Salata, Demetriou, Georgiadis & Borowiec, 2023 (Cyprus)
buettikeri Collingwood, 1985 (Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia)

C

caducus (Victor, 1839) (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Kazakhstan, Malta, North Macedonia, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Türkiye)
• Messor caducus caucasicola Arnoldi, 1977

caducus glabrescens Arnoldi, 1977 (Russian Federation)
capensis (Mayr, 1862) (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe)
   • Aphaenogaster pseudoaegyptiaca Emery, 1884
   • Messor barbarus schencki Wheeler, W.M., 1922
   • Messor braunsi Forel, 1913
   • Messor donisthorpei Santschi, 1937

capitatus (Latreille, 1798) (Balearic Islands, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain)
   • Aphaenogaster barbara nigra André, 1883
   • Formica huberiana Leach, 1825
   • Myrmica galbula Losana, 1834

capitatus nigricans Santschi, 1929 (Morocco)
carpathous Menozzi, 1936 (Greece)
caviceps (Forel, 1902) (Algeria, Morocco)
• Messor planiceps Stitz, 1917

celiae Reyes, 1985 (Iberian Peninsula, Spain)
cephalotes (Emery, 1895) (Ethiopia, Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania)
• Messor plinii Santschi, 1912

ceresis Santschi, 1934 (Iran, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia)
clivorum Ruzsky, 1905 (Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation)
clivorum sevani Arnoldi, 1977 (Armenia)
clypeatus Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927 (Kazakhstan)
collingwoodi Bolton, 1982 (Mali, Niger)
concolor Santschi, 1927 (Greece)
crawleyi Santschi, 1928 (Egypt, Saudi Arabia)
creticus Salata & Borowiec, 2019 (Greece)

D

danaes Salata, Georgiadis & Borowiec, 2023 (Greece)
decipiens Santschi, 1917 (Botswana, Iraq, Lesotho, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Zimbabwe)
• Messor arcistriatus Santschi, 1928
• Messor barbarus probus Wheeler, W.M., 1922

dentatus Santschi, 1927 (Iran, Israel, Türkiye)
denticornis Forel, 1910 (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa)
• Messor denticornis brunni Forel, 1910
• Messor denticornis parvidens Forel, 1910

desertora He & Song, 2009 (China)
diabarensis Arnoldi, 1970 (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan)

E

ebeninus Santschi, 1927 (Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Montenegro, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates)
eglalae Sharaf, 2007 (Egypt)
erectus Espadaler, 1998 (Morocco)
erwini Orou, Csősz, Arnan, Pol, Arthofer, Schlick-Steiner & Steiner, 2023 (Spain)
excursionis Ruzsky, 1905 (China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan)
excursionis alaschanicus Ruzsky, 1915 (Mongolia)
excursionis fraternus Ruzsky, 1905 (China)
excursionis sillemi Stärcke, 1935 (Kazakhstan)

F

ferreri Collingwood, 1993 (Kenya)
foreli Santschi, 1923 (Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates)

G

galla (Mayr, 1904) (Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen)
   • Messor barbarus latinoda Santschi, 1917
   • Messor galla airensis Bernard, 1950
   • Messor galla nobilis Santschi, 1928
   • Messor galla obscurus Menozzi & Consani, 1952
   • Messor galla rufula Finzi, 1939
   • Messor galla triimpressa Santschi, 1930

grandinidus Emery, 1912 (Morocco, Tunisia)

H

hebraeus Santschi, 1927 (Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Syria)
hellenius Agosti & Collingwood, 1987 (Bulgaria, Greece, Türkiye)
himalayanus (Forel, 1902) (Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Türkiye)
hismai Collingwood & Agosti, 1996 (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates)
hispanicus Santschi, 1919 (Balearic Islands, Gibraltar, Iberian Peninsula, Morocco, Portugal, Spain)
hodnii Barech, Khaldi, Espadaler & Cagniant, 2020 (Algeria)
hoggarensis Santschi, 1929 (Algeria, Morocco)

I

ibericus Santschi, 1931 (Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland)
• Messor structor novaki Finzi, 1929

incisus Stitz, 1923 (Namibia)
incorruptus Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929 (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation)
• Messor barbarus hamulifera Karavaiev, 1926

inermis Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929 (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan)
instabilis (Smith, F., 1858) (India, Israel, Pakistan)
• Aphaenogaster barbara punctata Forel, 1886

intermedius Santschi, 1927 (Greece, Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkmenistan, Türkiye)
isekram (Bernard, 1977) (Algeria)

K

kardamenae Salata & Borowiec, 2023 (Greece)
kasakorum Arnoldi, 1970 (Kazakhstan)
kasakorum nadezhdae Arnoldi, 1970 (Kazakhstan)
kisilkumensis Arnoldi, 1970 (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan)

L

laboriosus Santschi, 1927 (Azerbaijan, China, Greece, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, Türkiye)
• Messor minor denticulatus Santschi, 1927

lamellicornis Arnoldi, 1968 (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan)
lobicornis Forel, 1894 (Algeria, Gibraltar, Iberian Peninsula, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Türkiye)
• Messor lobicornis batnensis Forel, 1909

lobicornis normandi Santschi, 1918 (Algeria, Tunisia)
• Messor lobicornis laurenti Santschi, 1939

lobicornis submuticus Emery, 1908 (Algeria, Tunisia)
• Messor lobicornis rugulosus Santschi, 1926

luebberti Forel, 1910 (Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zimbabwe)
luridus Santschi, 1927 (Türkiye)
luridus virginalis Santschi, 1927 (Syria)
lusitanicus Tinaut, 1985 (Gibraltar, Iberian Peninsula, Portugal, Spain)

M

maculifrons Santschi, 1927 (Egypt, Israel, Syria)
marikovskii Arnoldi, 1970 (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan)
marocanus Santschi, 1927 (Gibraltar, Iberian Peninsula, Morocco, Portugal, Spain)
mcarthuri Steiner, Csősz, Markó, Gamisch, Rinnhofer, Folterbauer, Hammerle, Stauffer, Arthofer & Schlick-Steiner, 2018 (Bulgaria, Greece, Türkiye)
medioruber Santschi, 1910 (Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates)
• Messor meridionalis sublaeviceps Santschi, 1927

medioruber montanus Santschi, 1927 (Algeria)
mediosanguineus Donisthorpe, 1946 (Iran, Türkiye)
melancholicus Arnoldi, 1977 (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Türkiye)
• Messor melancholicus schelkovnikovi Arnoldi, 1977

meridionalis (André, 1883) (Afghanistan, Albania, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates)
minor (André, 1883) (Azerbaijan, Canary Islands, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Kuwait, Montenegro, Morocco, Saudi Arabia)
• Messor minor pompeianus Santschi, 1927

minor calabricus Santschi, 1927 (Italy)
minor capreensis Santschi, 1927 (Italy)
minor hesperius Santschi, 1927 (Canary Islands)
minor maurus Barquin, 1981 (Canary Islands)
muraywahus Collingwood & Agosti, 1996 (Saudi Arabia)
muscatus Collingwood & Agosti, 1996 (Oman, Saudi Arabia)
muticus (Nylander, 1849) (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Russian Federation, Türkiye, Ukraine)

N

nahali Tohmé, G. & Tohmé, H., 1981 (Iran, Syria)
niloticus Santschi, 1938 (Egypt)
nondentatus He & Song, 2009 (China)

O

obscurior Pashaei Rad, Taylor, Torabi, Aram, Abolfathi, Afshari, Borjali, Ghatei, Hediary, Jazini, Heidary Kiah, Mahmoudi, Safariyan & Seiri, 2018 (Iran, Iraq)
oertzeni Forel, 1910 (Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Türkiye)
• Messor oertzeni amphigea Forel, 1911

oertzeni amasiensis Emery, 1921 (Türkiye)
olegianus Arnoldi, 1970 (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan)
orientalis (Emery, 1898) (Afghanistan, China, Cyprus, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, North Macedonia, Türkiye)

P

perantennatus Arnoldi, 1970 (China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan)
piceus Stitz, 1923 (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa)
picturatus Santschi, 1927 (Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia)
picturatus maurus Santschi, 1927 (Tunisia)
platyceras Crawley, 1920 (Iran)
• Messor platyceras rubella Crawley, 1920

ponticus Steiner, Csősz, Markó, Gamisch, Rinnhofer, Folterbauer, Hammerle, Stauffer, Arthofer & Schlick-Steiner, 2018 (Bulgaria, Romania, Türkiye, Ukraine)
postpetiolatus Santschi, 1917 (Tunisia)
postquadratus Santschi, 1932 (Algeria)
punctaticeps Barech, Khaldi, Espadaler & Cagniant, 2020 (Algeria, Tunisia)

R

regalis (Emery, 1892) (Benin, Congo, Ivory Coast, Nigeria)
• Cratomyrmex regalis rubea Santschi, 1913
• Cratomyrmex sculpturatus Stitz, 1916

reticuliventris Karavaiev, 1910 (Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan)
rufotestaceus (Foerster, 1850) (Algeria, Iran, Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates)
• Aphaenogaster gracilinodis Emery, 1878
• Atta thoracica Mayr, 1862

rufus Santschi, 1923 (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation)
• Messor clivorum karawajevi Tarbinsky, 1976
• Messor similis Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927

rufus striolatus Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927 (Kyrgyzstan)
ruginodis Stitz, 1916 (Congo)
rugosus (André, 1881) (Egypt, Israel, Syria, Türkiye)
rugosus bodenheimeri Menozzi, 1933 (Israel)

S

sanctus Emery, 1921 (Algeria, Balearic Islands, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia)
sanganus Collingwood & Agosti, 1996 (Yemen)
santschii Emery, 1908 (Tunisia)
• Messor carthaginensis Bernard, 1980

semirufus (André, 1883) (Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Türkiye)
   • Messor semirufus kutteri Santschi, 1934
   • Messor semirufus nigricans Santschi, 1932
   • Messor semirufus nigriceps Santschi, 1929

semirufus emeryi Santschi, 1927 (Israel, Lebanon)
semirufus phasianicus Bernard, 1953 (Algeria)
semoni (Forel, 1906) (Algeria)
sordidus Forel, 1892 (Spain)
striatellus Arnoldi, 1970 (China, Tajikistan)
striaticeps (André, 1883) (Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia)
striatifrons Stitz, 1923 (Namibia, South Africa)
striativentris Emery, 1908 (Algeria, Morocco)
striatulus (Emery, 1891) (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia)
structor (Latreille, 1798) (Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Türkiye)
   • Formica aedificator Schilling, 1839
   • Formica lapidum Fabricius, 1804
   • Formica rufitarsis Fabricius, 1804
   • Messor rufitarsis darianus Pisarski, 1967
   • Messor rufitarsis jakowlevi Arnoldi, 1977
   • Messor structor romanus Santschi, 1926
   • Messor structor subpolitus Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927
   • Messor structor turanicus Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927

structor tyrrhenus Emery, 1898 (Gibraltar, Italy, Spain)
subgracilinodis Arnoldi, 1970 (China, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan)
sultanus Santschi, 1917 (Iran, Israel, Türkiye)
syriacus Tohmé, G., 1969 (Armenia, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Türkiye)

T

tadzhikorum Arnoldi, 1970 (Tajikistan)
tataricus Ruzsky, 1905 (Russian Federation)
testaceus Donisthorpe, 1950 (Iran, Syria, Türkiye)
testaceus Bernard Bernard, 1980
timidus Espadaler, 1997 (Iberian Peninsula, Spain)
tropicorum Wheeler, W.M., 1922 (Angola, Namibia)
• Messor braunsi nigriventris Stitz, 1923
• Messor denticornis laevifrons Stitz, 1923

turcmenochorassanicus Arnoldi, 1977 (Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan)

V

valentinae Arnoldi, 1970 (China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan)
variabilis Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927 (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan)
• Messor excursionis macrops Santschi, 1927

varrialei Emery, 1921 (Iran, North Macedonia, Türkiye)
• Messor structor aegaeus Santschi, 1926

vaucheri Emery, 1908 (Morocco)
veneris Salata, Georgiadis & Borowiec, 2023 (Greece)
vicinus Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927 (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan)

W

wasmanni Krausse, 1910 (Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Oman, Romania, Slovenia, Syria, Türkiye)

Fossil Species

Messor
	Myrmicinae
	File:Messor aegyptiacus; Messor aegyptiacus
	; Distribution
	; Species Richness
Statistics
Valid Species	170
Invalid Species	69
Fossils	1
Countries Occupied	83
Year Described	1890
First Species Described	1767
Last Species Described	2023

S

sculpturatus Carpenter, 1930 (Florissant, Colorado, United States (Late Eocene))