Messor varrialei

This species is known only from the western Turkey and Dodecanese islands (Karpathos and Rhodes), as well as Iran. Lowland species, nests were observed in clay wastelands, ruderal places inside tourist resorts and pastures (Salata & Borowiec, 2019). Pashaei Rad et al. (2018) found this species in Iran on parkland ground in a moderate rainfall area.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Iran, Republic of Macedonia, Turkey.

Nomenclature

 *  varrialei. Messor barbarus subsp. varrialei Emery, 1921b: 215, fig. 6 (s.) TURKEY.
 * Subspecies of barbarus: Emery, 1922c: 97; Santschi, 1926f: 290; Finzi, 1939c: 154.
 * Junior synonym of structor: Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 114; Bolton, 1995b: 258.
 * Subspecies of structor: Pashaei Rad et al., 2018: 10.
 * Status as species: Steiner, Csösz, et al. 2018: supplementary material, 7.
 * Senior synonym of aegaeus: Steiner, Csösz, et al. 2018: supplementary material, 7.
 * aegaeus. Messor structor var. aegaeus Santschi, 1926f: 286 (w.q.m.) TURKEY.
 * [First available use of Messor barbarus subsp. structor var. aegaea Emery, 1921b: 213, fig. 5 (w.q.m.) TURKEY; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
 * Subspecies of structor: Menozzi, 1928a: 126; Santschi, 1934d: 275; Menozzi, 1936d: 276; Finzi, 1939c: 155; Baroni Urbani, 1964a: 2; Aktaç, 1977: 120; Bolton, 1995b: 252; Legakis, 2011: 9.
 * Junior synonym of varrialei: Steiner, Csösz, et al. 2018: supplementary material, 7.

Taxonomic Notes
Salata & Borowiec (2019) (misidentification):
 * As Messor muticus: Borowiec and Salata, 2012: 514 (part).
 * As Messor orientalis: Borowiec and Salata, 2012: 515 (part).