Contents Contents The Ants of Egypt
SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Messor
Messor barbarus (Linnaeus)

Messor barbarus (Linnaeus)

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location Morocco (Formica barbara, Linnaeus, 1767: 962, worker; Mayr, 1861: 67, queen & male) - no images on Antweb (January 2015)
junior synonyms
binodis (Formica binodis, Fabricius, 1763: 413, worker; synonymy F Smith, 1858b: 162) from Egypt - no images on Antweb (January 2015)
juvenilis (Formica juvenilis, Fabricius, 1804: 405, worker; synonymy F Smith, 1858b: 162) - no images on Antweb (January 2015)
megacephala (Formica megacephala, Leach, 1825: 292, all forms; synonymy Mayr, 1863: 395) from France - no images on Antweb (January 2015)
ambiguus (Santschi, 1925g: 342, worker; synonymy Collingwood, 1978: 68) from Tunisia - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0913160
nigriceps (Santschi, 1925g: 341, worker & queen; synonymy Collingwood, 1978: 68) - from Spain - very dark form - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0913162
.

subspecies
gallaoides (Santschi, 1929e: 141, major worker) from Morocco - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0913163
mediosanguineus (Donisthorpe, 1946a: 53, major & minor workers) from Turkey - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0900484
nigricans (Santschi, 1929e: 142, queen) from Morocco - no images on Antweb (January 2015)
politus (Karavaiev, 1912a: 6, major & minor workers - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0907728; junior synonym dentiscapus, Forel, 1909e: 371; Finzi, 1930b: 15, worker; synonymy Bolton, 1995: 253 - no images on Antweb (January 2015)) from Algeria
santschii (Forel, 1905b: 176, worker; Forel, 1907b: 204, queen & male; Emery, 1908e: 447, worker; Karavaiev, 1912a: 6, queen & male) from Tunisia - see http://www.antweb.org/specimenImages.do?code=casent0907712.

Note - in the "Ants of Egypt" study, I have removed Messor barbarus r. sahlbergi (Forel, 1913d: 428, worker) from Egypt, to a subspecies of Messor arenarius.
rufitarsis (Myrmica rufitarsis, Foerster, 1850b: 485, worker; synonymy Roger, 1863b: 29) from Algeria - junior synonym of Messor structor: Agosti & Collingwood (1987a: 54)


{Messor barbarus pedicels}Linnaeus' (1767) description is at {original description}. Latreille (1802c) gave a description of binodis, this is at {original description}. Mayr (1861: 66) gave a key to workers, queens and males, the worker key is at {original description}. Emery (1878b) gave a description, this is at {original description} and {original description}. Emery (1908e) gave a group description of the barbarus group, this is at {original description} [the illustration referred to, Fig. 4, is of M. capitatus nigra]. Emery (1908e) gave a key, this is at {original description}. Emery (1908e) gave a description of barbarus s.s., this is at {original description}. Bondroit (1918: 152) gave an illustrated description, this is at {original description}.


{Messor barbarus santschii}WORKER - Emery (1878b) noted the form from Abyssinia [Ethiopia], collected by Beccari (from Keren, also from Bogos by Antinori; Emery, 1877b: 373) had the red parts generally somewhat dull; pronotum subtly rugose, propodeal teeth quite accentuated. Neither the form nor the finding were cited by Bolton (1982) - Mayr's (1961) key separated "Aphaenogaster barbara as having no teeth on the propodeum (metanotum). The photomontage of santschii is collated from http://mcz-28168.oeb.harvard.edu/mcz/FMPro?-DB=Image.fm&-Lay=web&-Format=images.htm&Species_ID=23332&-Find


Extralimital in Bolton (1982) but recorded from -
Sudan - André (1884b: 245), collected by Dr Paolo Magretti;
Ethiopia - Emery (1881a), Kaka, collector Antinori worker; like the variety from Bogos. Forel (1894b), Ethiopia south, collector Ilg, workers. Emery (1899a), Badditu-Dime, collector Bottego, 1 queen. Forel (1904b) from Godo & Burka, collector Kachovskij, 1 queen, 17.vi.1898; an unlikely identification is Messor barbarus punctatus (type location India; now a junior synonym of instabilis), in list of Wheeler (1922) from Abuker, Dire Daua & Hara, collector Kristensen.
Somalia - Emery (1892a), Mogadishu, Obbia, Uebi & Ogaden, collectors L Bricchetti Robecchi & Prof Pavesi, workers.

©2005, 2006, 2015 - Brian Taylor CBiol FRSB FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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