Messor ibericus

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Spain , Switzerland.

Nomenclature

 *  ibericus. Messor structor var. ibericus Santschi, 1931a: 4 (w.m.) SPAIN.
 * [First available use of Messor barbarus subsp. structor var. iberica Emery, 1922c: 92 (w.) SPAIN; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
 * Santschi, 1931a: 4 (m.).
 * As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1924c: 164.
 * Subspecies of structor: Santschi, 1931a: 4; Santschi, 1932c: 69.
 * Subspecies of barbarus: Ceballos, 1956: 302.
 * Status as species: Collingwood, 1978: 68, 81 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 254; Borowiec, L. 2014: 107; Steiner, Csösz, et al. 2018: 398 (redescription).
 * Senior synonym of novaki: Steiner, Csösz, et al. 2018: supplementary material, 8.
 * novaki. Messor structor subsp. novaki Finzi, 1929: 92 (w.) CROATIA.
 * Junior synonym of structor: Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 114; Bolton, 1995b: 256.
 * Junior synonym of ibericus: Steiner, Csösz, et al. 2018: supplementary material, 8.

Description
Steiner et al. (2018) - Worker and queen. Colour: Head and mesosoma light brown to brownish red, gaster brown to dark brown. Major worker mostly dark brown. Queen dark brown. Size: Medium. Queen small, similar in size to major. Head: Entirely sculptured with mostly parallel costae, which usually bifurcate above eye level. Sculpture disappears gradually above eye level, at least on vertex. Postocular region on side of head can lack costae, but microsculpture always present. Erect setae abundant on side of head from occiput to mandibular insertion. Scape: Base without lobe, tooth-like processus directed mostly downward. 1st funicular segment short and flattened, longer than 2nd segment, but shorter than 2nd and 3rd segments together. Clypeus: Median notch well-defined, but shallow in some minor workers. Pronotum: Median costae often arched, middle of pronotum often smooth. Mesonotum: Densely sculptured throughout, costae transverse and mostly parallel. Mesopleuron: Densely sculptured with fine, irregular costulae with dense punctuation among them, even in minor worker. Propodeum: Mostly rounded; rarely angulated in major worker; smoothly rounded in minor worker. Parallel costae on side. Surface of 1st gaster tergite: Entire surface imbricate.

Type Material
Steiner et al. (2018) - 1 lectotype worker by present designation, upper individual on pin with two workers labelled “Cataluna Gavá: VII.94. (Nov.) A. Cabrera Aphaenogaster   (Messor) barbara  r. sordida Forel. A. Cabrera, Cataluna Gavá: VII.94. (Nov.) A. Cabrera  Aphaenogaster  (Messor) barbara  r. sordida Forel. A. Cabrera, SYNTYPUS  Messor structor  var. ibericus Santschi, 1931, Museo Genova   coll. C. Emery  (dono 1925)”; 1 paralectotype worker by present designation, lower individual on same pin as lectotype,.