Messor melancholicus

Pashaei Rad et al. (2018) found this species in Iran on the ground in all rainfall areas.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan.

Nomenclature

 * . Messor melancholicus Arnol'di, 1977b: 1639, 1644 (in key).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-localities: Azerbaijan: Gouv. Elisabethpol (= Gäncä), Karajaginschen Bezirkes, 23.iv.1911 (Woronow & Popow), Azerbaijan: Salzmorast Adschi (Gouv. Baku), 29.iii.1907 (Schmidt & Schelkownikow), Armenia: Ordubad (Gouv. Erevan), 25.vi.1911 (Satunin).
 * Type-depositories: IZGT, SIZK.
 * [First available use of Messor structor subsp. striaticeps var. melancholica Karavaiev, 1926b: 104 (s.w.) AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
 * As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Santschi, 1926f: 292.
 * Status as species: Arakelian, 1994: 36; Bolton, 1995b: 255; Gratiashvili & Barjadze, 2008: 139; Borowiec, L. 2014: 109; Bračko, 2019: 172.
 * Senior synonym of schelkovnikovi: Arakelian, 1994: 36; Bolton, 1995b: 255.
 * Distribution: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia.
 * schelkovnikovi. Messor melancholicus subsp. schelkovnikovi Arnol'di, 1977b: 1639 (w.q.) ARMENIA.
 * Type-material: 1 syntype worker, 1 syntype queen.
 * Type-locality: Armenia: Yerevan (Shelkovnikov).
 * Type-depository: ZMUM.
 * Junior synonym of melancholicus: Arakelian, 1994: 36; Bolton, 1995b: 257.

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.
 * Gratiashvili N., Barjadze S. 2008. Checklist of the ants (Formicidae Latreille, 1809) of Georgia. Proceedings of the Institute of Zoology (Tbilisi) 23: 130-146.
 * Pashaei Rad S., B. Taylor, R. Torabi, E. Aram, G. Abolfathi, R. Afshari, F. Borjali, M. Ghatei, F. Hediary, F. Jazini, V. Heidary Kiah, Z. Mahmoudi, F. Safariyan, and M. Seiri. 2018. Further records of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran. Zoology in the Middle East 64(2): 145-159.
 * Santschi F. 1926. Travaux scientifiques de l'Armée d'Orient (1916-1918). Fourmis. Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle 32: 286-293.