Messor structor

Widespread in southern Europe and NW Africa. In the Middle East and Central Asia there are some forms which have never been taxonomically reviewed (Rigato & Toni, 2011).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Balearic Islands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Iran, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.

Nomenclature

 *  structor. Formica structor Latreille, 1798: 46 (w.m.) FRANCE. Latreille, 1802c: 237 (q.). Combination in Manica: Jurine, 1807: 279; in Atta: Mayr, 1855: 464; in Myrmica: Nylander, 1856b: 85; in Aphaenogaster: Roger, 1863b: 29; in A. (Messor): Forel, 1892i: 316; in Stenamma (Messor): Emery, 1898c: 126; in Messor: Emery, 1897f: 238; Ruzsky, 1903b: 315. Subspecies of barbarus: Emery, 1908e: 455; Forel, 1910a: 9; Emery, 1914d: 156; Santschi, 1917e: 91; Menozzi, 1918: 83; Santschi, 1921a: 110; Emery, 1924b: 12. Status as species: Nasonov, 1889: 37; Ruzsky, 1905b: 728; Forel, 1915d: 35; Bondroit, 1918: 150; Finzi, 1924a: 13; Menozzi, 1926b: 181; Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927a: 92; Finzi, 1930d: 312; Karavaiev, 1934: 108; Bernard, 1967: 144; Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 66. Senior synonym of aedificator: Mayr, 1855: 464; of mutica: Mayr, 1855: 464; Nylander, 1856b: 85; Smith, F. 1858b: 162; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 114; Radchenko, 2007: 31; of lapidum: Nylander, 1856b: 85; of tyrrhena: Emery, 1921b: 210; of rufitarsis: Nylander, 1856b: 85; Smith, F. 1858b: 162; Mayr, 1863: 397; Nasonov, 1889: 37; Emery, 1921f: 73; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 54; Casevitz-Weulersse, 1990a: 154; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 115; of clivorum (and its junior synonyms rubella, subpolitus), jakowlevi, tataricus, turanicus (and its junior synonym darianus) and material of the unavailable name romana referred here: Dlussky, Soyunov & Zabelin, 1990: 224; of novaki, varrialei: Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 114; of sevani: Arakelian, 1994: 39. Current subspecies: nominal plus aegaeus, platyceras, tadzhikorum.
 * lapidum. Formica lapidum Fabricius, 1804: 407 (w.) AUSTRIA. Junior synonym of structor: Nylander, 1856b: 85.
 * rufitarsis. Formica rufitarsis Fabricius, 1804: 406 (w.) AUSTRIA. Combination in Aphaenogaster: Roger, 1863b: 29; in Messor: Emery, 1921b: 211. Junior synonym of structor: Nylander, 1856b: 85; Smith, F. 1858b: 162; Mayr, 1863: 397; Nasonov, 1889: 37; Emery, 1921f: 73. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of barbarus: Emery, 1921b: 211. Subspecies of structor: Santschi, 1926f: 290; Menozzi, 1933b: 54. Status as species: Röszler, 1942a: 51; Bernard, 1955a: 361 (in key); Bernard, 1967: 144; Baroni Urbani, 1971c: 63; Kutter, 1977c: 82; Arnol'di, 1977b: 1643; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 537 (in key). Junior synonym of structor: Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 54; Casevitz-Weulersse, 1990a: 154.
 * aedificator. Formica aedificator Schilling, 1839: 56 (w.) POLAND. Junior synonym of structor: Mayr, 1855: 464.
 * mutica. Myrmica mutica Nylander, 1849: 39 (w.q.m.) RUSSIA. Combination in Aphaenogaster: Roger, 1863b: 29; in Stenamma (Messor): Emery, 1898c: 126; in Messor: Ruzsky, 1903b: 315. Junior synonym of structor: Mayr, 1855: 464; Nylander, 1856b: 85; Smith, F. 1858b: 162. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of structor: Emery, 1898c: 126; Ruzsky, 1904b: 4; Bondroit, 1918: 151; Santschi, 1934d: 275. Junior synonym of rufitarsis: Bernard, 1967: 144. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of rufitarsis: Arnol'di, 1977b: 1643. Revived status as species: Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 54. Junior synonym of structor: Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 114; Radchenko, 2007: 31.
 * tyrrhena. Stenamma (Messor) structor var. tyrrhena Emery, 1898c: 141 (w.q.m.) ITALY. Combination in Messor: Emery, 1908e: 456. Junior synonym of structor: Emery, 1921b: 210.
 * clivorum. Messor structor var. clivorum Ruzsky, 1905b: 735 (s.w.) KAZAKHSTAN. Karavaiev, 1927a: 286 (q.m.). Subspecies of barbarus: Emery, 1908e: 454; Forel, 1910a: 24. Raised to species: Emery, 1921b: 210 (footnote); Dlussky, 1962: 179; Tarbinsky, 1976: 56; Arnol'di, 1977b: 1639. Senior synonym of rubella: Emery, 1921b: 210; of subpolitus: Tarbinsky, 1976: 56. Junior synonym of structor: Dlussky, Soyunov & Zabelin, 1990: 224; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 114.
 * tataricus. Messor tataricus Ruzsky, 1905b: 738 (w.) KAZAKHSTAN. Subspecies of clivorum: Arnol'di, 1977b: 1644. Junior synonym of structor: Dlussky, Soyunov & Zabelin, 1990: 224; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 114.
 * rubella. Messor platyceras var. rubella Crawley, 1920a: 164 (s.w.m.) IRAN. Junior synonym of clivorum: Emery, 1921b: 210.
 * varrialei. Messor barbarus subsp. varrialei Emery, 1921b: 215, fig. 6 (s.) TURKEY. Junior synonym of structor: Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 114.
 * turanicus. Messor structor subsp. turanicus Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927a: 91 (in key) (w.) UZBEKISTAN. Senior synonym of darianus: Pisarski, 1967: 383; Pisarski, 1970: 306; Tarbinsky, 1976: 54; Arnol'di, 1977b: 1644 (all these authors give darianus as the senior name, but turanicus has priority). Junior synonym of structor: Dlussky, Soyunov & Zabelin, 1990: 224.
 * novaki. Messor structor subsp. novaki Finzi, 1929: 92 (w.) YUGOSLAVIA. Junior synonym of structor: Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 114.
 * darianus. Messor rufitarsis subsp. darianus Pisarski, 1967: 383 (w.) KAZAKHSTAN. [First available use of Messor structor st. rufitarsis var. darianus Santschi, 1926f: 291; unavailable name.] Junior synonym of turanicus: Pisarski, 1967: 383; Pisarski, 1970: 306; Tarbinsky, 1976: 54; Arnol'di, 1977b: 1644 (in all these darianus is given seniority over turanicus, but the latter is the first available name).
 * jakowlevi. Messor rufitarsis subsp. jakowlevi Arnol'di, 1977b: 1643 (w.) UKRAINE. [First available use of Messor barbarus subsp. capitatus var. jakowlevi Ruzsky, 1905b: 750; unavailable name.] Material of the unavailable name salina referred here by Arnol'di, 1977b: 1643. Junior synonym of structor: Dlussky, Soyunov & Zabelin, 1990: 224; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 114.
 * sevani. Messor clivorum subsp. sevani Arnol'di, 1977b: 1644 (s.w.) CAUCASUS. [First available use of Messor structor subsp. striaticeps var. sevany Karavaiev, 1926b: 103; unavailable name.] Junior synonym of structor: Arakelian, 1994: 39.

Additional References

 * Khaustov, A.A. 2009. New and Little Known Species of Mites of the Genus Caesarodispus (Acari, Heterostigmata, Microdispidae) Associated with Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Ukraine. Vestnik zoologii, 43(5): 387–393 (DOI 10.2478/v10058-009-0017-7).
 * Rigato, F.; Toni, I. 2011. Short notes 21. Hymenoptera, Formicidae. Pp. 873-882 in: Nardi, G.; Whitmore, D.; Bardiani, M.; Birtele, D.; Mason, F.; Spada, L.; Cerretti, P. (eds.) 2011. Biodiversity of Marganai and Montimannu (Sardinia). Research in the framework of the ICP Forests network. Conservazione Habitat Invertebrati, 5. Sommacampagna, Verona: Cierre Edizioni, 896 pp.