Messor desertora

The type material was collected from Inner Mongolia desert. The main seeds harvested from Nitraria sibirica Pall. and Nitraria tangutorum Bobrov(?) and a small amount of gramineous Gramineae seed. General hi nest nest near the white thorns in the sand gravel soil. Nest hole diameter of 1.2 ~ 1.8cm, nest outside the heap radius of 11 ~ 18cm, heap soil 1.80 ~ 6.30cm high. (As per "google translate" translation of He and Song 2009).

Identification
He and Song (2009) - This new species is similar to Messor aciculatus，but its occipital margin rounded, scapes of antennae surpasses occipital margin slightly, masticatory margin of mandible has two blunt preapical teeth, and 11 to 13 thin teeth or denticles are in the inner. A round pore is in the middle of the profile of metathorax.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 * . Messor desertora He & Song, 2009: 722, figs. 1, 2 (w.) CHINA (Inner Mongolia).
 * Type-material: holotype worker.
 * Type-locality: China: Inner Mongolia, Alashan league, Wuliji village, 1319 m., 40°45’06’’N, 104°31’10’’E, 15.vii.2006 (L. Song).
 * Type-depository: NUYC.
 * Status as species: Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 45.
 * Distribution: China.

Description
Holotype worker ：TL 8.67，HL 2.0，HW 1.80，CL 0.4，SL 1.73，CI 90，SI 96.11，PW 1.20，AL 2.67，ED 0.46，MTL 2.0.

Type Material
Holotype major worker：Wuliji village，Alashan league，Inner Mongolia，China. 2006-Ⅶ-15，N 40°45´06，E 104°31´10，1319m，collected by Song Lingying. Deposited in the laboratory of insect specimens, Agricultural College, Ningxia University.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * He D.-H., and L. Song. 2009. A taxon of the ant genus Messor Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from China, with description of two new species in desert region. Highlights of Sciencepaper Online 2: 720-725.