Messor ruginodis

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Messor ruginodis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Stenammini
Genus: Messor
Species: M. ruginodis
Binomial name
Messor ruginodis
Stitz, 1916

Bolton (1982) - Apart from the very distinctive Messor regalis this is the only other species of Messor recorded from the Congo. It is possible to decide from Stitz's description that ruginodis is related to Messor capensis and its allies, but further placement cannot be attempted without the types as the description alone is not good enough. It must suffice for the present to state that, apart from regalis, no Messor species is known to extend its range into the Congo, so ruginodis remains an enigma. As the species, whatever it really is, is definitely not closely related to barbarus, I have raised it to species-level here.

Identification

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Congo (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • ruginodis. Messor barbarus r. ruginodis Stitz, 1916: 374, fig. 1 (w.) CONGO.
    • Type-material: 15 syntype workers.
    • Type-locality: Congo (“French Congo”): Fort Crampel, xi.1910, 6.i.1911 (Schubotz).
    • Type-depository: unknown (not found in MNHU (Bolton, 1982: 353)).
    • As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1922c: 98.
    • Subspecies of barbarus: Emery, 1921f: 71; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 803.
    • Status as species: Bolton, 1982: 353 (nomen dubium); Bolton, 1995b: 256.
    • Distribution: Congo.

Description

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Stitz H. 1916. Formiciden. Ergebnisse der Zweiten Deutschen Zentral-Afrika Expedition 1: 369-405.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004