Contents Contents The Ants of Egypt
SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Messor - Messor rugosus (André)
{Messor rugosus}

Messor rugosus (André)

return to key {link to the Hymenoptera Name Server} Type location Israel (Aphaenogaster barbara var rugosa, André, 1881b: 75, worker & male; raised to species Emery, 1908e: 458; illustration in Tohmé & Tohmé, 1981b); subspecies bodenheimeri (Menozzi, 1933b: 54, worker) from Israel; and crawleyi (Messor rugosus André st. crawleyi Santschi, 1928f: 203, worker) from Egypt.

André's (1881b) description is at {original description}. Santschi's (1928f) description of crawleyi is at {original description}. Menozzi's (1933b) description of bodenheimeri is at {original description}. Tohmé & Tohmé's notes (1981b) are collated on {original description} (they were wrong in giving Emery (1908e) as having an illustration].

{short description of image}Overall rugosus and aralocaspius (Ruzsky) [type location Russia (Aphaenogaster barbara var aralocaspia (Ruzsky, 1902c: 20, worker; Karavaiev, 1910b: 63, queen & male; Stitz, 1930: 240, queen; raised to species by Pisarski, 1967: 384), subspecies infumatus (Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927a: 91, in key, & 1929d: 19, worker; subspecies status Arnold'i, 1977b: 1642) from Kazakhstan; Bolton, 1995: 252], appear to be closely related. The general consensus (e.g Collingwood, 1985: 248) seems to be that the latter has the first funiculus segment distinctly broader and much longer than the second; that is not reflected in the Karavaiev figues (1910b: 30). The specimens shown below have the first and second funiculus segments of identical lengths and both are quite narrow; aralocaspius also has no teeth of any size on the propodeum. M. rugosus is not among the species reported from Saudi Arabia. The descriptions of rugosus, however, perhaps are confusing as they seem to describe only quite small workers. André (1881b) wrote of them as always small, TL 4-6 mm); the propodeum as unarmed or nearly so (as shown by Thomé & Thomé, 1981b).

{Messor rugosus major}The photomontage is of a major worker from Kuwait, Camp Arifjan, 28°52'00"N 48°09'50"E, elev 42 m; 18.ix.2005; David King. Nest in soil along fence; nocturnal foragers. Other images can be seen in the folder at - {original description}

{Messor rugosus minor}The photomontage is of a minor worker from Kuwait, as above.

{short description of image}Egypt record - Santschi (1928f) from El Faroukia, Belbes, and El Gadaida, Minia Ganib, 5 workers, received from Mr C W Crawley (British Museum?), probably the same specimens were listed by Alfieri (1931). The photomontage is from originals taken by Mostafa Sharaf
©2005, 2006 - Brian Taylor CBiol FIBiol FRES
11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K.

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