Messor muraywahus

Messor muraywahus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Stenammini
Genus:	Messor
Species:	M. muraywahus
Binomial name
	Messor muraywahus; Collingwood & Agosti, 1996 Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Messor muraywahus.

Identification

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 28.75° to 28.75°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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.

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.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

muraywahus. Messor muraywahus Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 319, fig. 6 (w.) SAUDI ARABIA.
- Type-material: holotype worker, 2 paratype workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Saudi Arabia: Al-Muraywah, 28°45’N, 44°00’E, 28.x.1986 (W. Büttiker); paratypes with same data.
- Type-depository: NHMB (perhaps also in WMLC).
- Status as species: Borowiec, L. 2014: 109.
- Distribution: Saudi Arabia.

Description

Worker

Holotype: TL 6.5; HL 2.1; HW 2.2; SL 1.91; EL/HW 0.232.

This species is similar to Messor aralocaspius but the body hairs are shorter and differently distributed. The occiput has four and five projecting hairs at each side of the midline. Short hairs project on the genae below the eyes. The pronotum has several long dorsal hairs, the petiole one pair and the postpetiole two pairs. Several short hairs are present over the first gastral dorsum. This species has relatively larger eyes than M. aralocaspius, a steeper more sharply angled petiole and the propodeum is armed with slightly projecting blunt teeth. The subcephalic hairs are sparse, not forming a distinct psammophore. The head is moderately shining with a few scattered punctures, the alitrunk dorsum is transversely striate and the gaster has fine superficial sculpture.

Type Material

Holotype: worker, Saudi Arabia, Al-Muraywah, 28°45'N 44°00'E, 28.x.1986, W Biittiker.- Paratypes: 2 workers, same series as holotype.

References