Messor timidus

Messor timidus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Stenammini
Genus:	Messor
Species:	M. timidus
Binomial name
Messor timidus Espadaler, 1997 Specimen Labels

Identification

Keys including this Species

• Key to Iberian Peninsula Messor species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 37.024722° to 37.024722°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Iberian Peninsula, Spain (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.

Castes

Images from AntWeb

Paratype of Messor timidus. Worker. Specimen code casent0915457. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MNHN, Paris, France.

Nomenclature

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

• timidus. Messor timidus Espadaler, 1997a: 153 (s.w.q.) SPAIN.
  • Type-material: holotype worker, 92 paratype workers, 3 paratype queens.
  • Type-locality: holotype Spain: Almería, Sartenilla, 23.viii.1996 (X. Espadaler); paratypes: 62 workers, 3 queens with same data, 12 workers with same data but 29.viii.1991, 18 workers with same data but 25.iv.1993.
  • Type-depositories: XEPC (holotype); MCZC, MNHN, XEPC (paratypes).
  • Status as species: Borowiec, L. 2014: 113; Lebas, et al. 2016: 292.
  • Distribution: Spain.

References

• Azcárate, F.M., Kovacs, E., Peco, B. 2007. Microclimatic conditions regulate surface activity in harvester ants Messor barbarus. Journal of Insect Behavior 20(3), 315–329 (doi:10.1007/s10905-007-9074-3).
• Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
• Espadaler, X. 1997b [1996]. Diagnosis preliminar de siete especies nuevas de hormigas de la Península Ibérica (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zapateri Rev. Aragon. Entomol. 6: 151-153. (page 153, soldier, worker, queen described)

• Orou, N., Csősz, S., Arnan, X., Pol, R. G., Arthofer, W., Schlick-Steiner, B. C., Steiner, F. M. 2023. Messor erwini sp. n., a hitherto cryptic harvester ant in the Iberian Peninsula. Zoologischer Anzeiger 307, 36–53 (doi:10.1016/j.jcz.2023.09.001).
• Parmentier, T., Gaju-Ricart, M., Wenseleers, T., Molero-Baltanás, R. 2021. Chemical and behavioural strategies along the spectrum of host specificity in ant-associated silverfish. Research Square (doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-1108003/v1).
• Tinaut, A., Ruano, F. 2021. Biogeography of Iberian ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Diversity 13, 88. (doi:10.3390/d13020088).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
• Espadaler, X.. "Diagnosis preliminar de siete especies nuevas de hormigas de la Península Ibérica." Zapateri Rev. Aragon. Entomol. 6 (1997): 152-153.