Messor decipiens

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Botswana, Lesotho, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Zimbabwe. Palaearctic Region: Iraq.

It is known to occur in South and East Africa, Saudi Arabia and Iraq (Abdul-Rassoul et al. 2013).

Nomenclature

 *  decipiens. Messor capensis st. decipiens Santschi, 1917e: 94 (w.q.) SOUTH AFRICA. [First available use of Stenamma (Messor) barbarum r. capense var. decipiens Forel, 1905b: 177; unavailable name.] Raised to species and senior synonym of arcistriatus, probus: Bolton, 1982: 348.
 * probus. Messor capensis var. probus Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 805 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA. [First available use of Messor barbarus subsp. capensis var. proba Forel, 1911e: 266; unavailable name.] Junior synonym of decipiens: Bolton, 1982: 348.
 * arcistriatus. Messor arcistriatus Santschi, 1928f: 202 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA. Junior synonym of decipiens: Bolton, 1982: 348.

Additional References

 * Abdul-Rassoul, M.S., Ali, H.B. & Augul, R.SH. 2013. New Records of Unidentified Ants worker (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) stored in Iraqi Natural History Museum with key to Species. Adv. Biores., Vol 4 (2): 27-33.
 * [[Media:Bolton 1982.pdf|Bolton, B. 1982. Afrotropical species of the myrmecine ant genera Cardiocondyla, Leptothorax, Melissotarsus, Messor and Cataulacus (Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology, 46: 307-370 PDF]]