Messor obscurior

Pashaei Rad et al. (2018) reported this species from Iran where it occurs in moderate rainfall to dry areas.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Iran, Iraq.

Nomenclature

 *  obscurior. Messor obscurior Pashaei Rad et al., 2018: 10 (w.) IRAQ. Palearctic.
 * [First available use of Messor barbarus semirufus obscurior Crawley, 1920a: 164; unavailable name, material referred to Messor semirufus by Baroni Urbani, 1974a: 227].
 * [Note: material included: Iraq: Amara, 1918 (P.A. Buxton), Iraq: Baghdad, 1918 (W.E. Evans); workers, deposited in OXUM and perhaps BMNH (no type status).]
 * As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1922c: 95.
 * Declared as unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Bolton, 1995b: 256.
 * Material referred to semirufus by Baroni Urbani, 1974: 227.

Taxonomic Notes
Pashaei Rad et al., (2018): Original name Messor barbarus race semirufus E. André var. obscurior Crawley, 1920. Crawley gave major TL 7.5-8.0, minor TL 3.5 mm. Dark brown, some almost black, uniform except for lighter appendages; sculpture on head and alitrunk coarser than semirufus. Baroni Urbani (1974) noted he based his synonymy on the original description and had not seen the type specimens. Equally, he had not seen the type of semirufus as that appears to have been lost.

Note that Pashaei Rad et al., (2018) reported this species as Messor obscurior Crawley, 1920, new status, not realising that Crawley's name was an unavailable infrasubspecific name and that their action would make this name available as a new species with Pashaei Rad et al. as its author.

Note that Bolton (in his unpublished An online catalogue of the ants of the world, 15 Feb. 2020) does not recognise the species status proposed by Pashaei Rad et al. (2018), noting that "the entries in this publication are omitted from the catalogue as it contains numerous nomenclatural errors; it also ignores previous taxonomic decisions, and entirely fails to apply ICZN rules that govern the availability of names in the species-group." He considers this name to be unavailable.