Messor meridionalis

Identification
Collingwood and Agosti (1996) - HW 2.3-2.6; EL/HW 0.204-0.223. This bicoloured species known from Afghanistan (Pisarki 1967) and most of the countries of the Middle East including Iraq and Iran is immediately distinguishable from Messor semirufus, Messor wasmanni and other superficially similar species by its relatively large eyes. In museum collections several different species are placed under the name M meridionalis so that there is uncertainty as to which species this name should apply.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates. Palaearctic Region: Afghanistan, Albania, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Montenegro, Republic of Macedonia, Turkey.

It is known from Central Asia and the Middle East (Abdul-Rassoul et al. 2013).

Nomenclature

 *  meridionalis. Aphaenogaster barbara var. meridionalis André, 1883b: 355 (w.) GREECE. Ruzsky, 1905b: 747 (m.); Emery, 1908e: 450 (q.). Combination in Messor: Emery, 1897f: 239; in Stenamma (Messor): Emery, 1898c: 125; in Messor: Ruzsky, 1903b: 315; Ruzsky, 1905b: 746. Subspecies of barbarus: Emery, 1908e: 450; Forel, 1910a: 24; Santschi, 1921a: 110; of semirufus: Santschi, 1927c: 230; Finzi, 1928c: 788; of minor: Arnol'di, 1948: 211. Status as species: Bondroit, 1918: 155; Müller, 1923: 64; Collingwood, 1961a: 58; Pisarski, 1970: 306; Tohmé, G. & Tohmé, H. 1981: 144. Junior synonym of semirufus: Baroni Urbani, 1974: 227; of caducus: Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 121. Revived from synonymy, status as species: Collingwood, 1985: 251; Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 318.

Taxonomic Notes
Borowiec & Salata (2020): This taxon is species dubium. According to the original description (André 1883), it was described from specimens belonging to more than one species. Location of types is unknown and before their study and designation of the lectotype the status of this species is uncertain. Recent authors assigned records of Messor meridionalis from Europe, Turkey and the Middle East to Messor wasmanni.