Messor foreli

This is a true desert species common in the northern Sahara (Collingwood and Agosti 1996).

Identification
Collingwood and Agosti (1996) - HW 1.35-1.39; SI 94; EL/HW 0.30. This is a small species characterised by its large eyes, dentate propodeum and hairless propodeum, nodes and first gastral tergite. The colour is evenly reddish brown to brownish black and the sculpture is dilute with the whole body shining. The postpetiole is rather low and slightly truncate.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates. Palaearctic Region: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia.

Nomenclature

 * . Messor aegyptiacus var. foreli Santschi, 1923f: 322, fig. 1a,b (w.) TUNISIA, ALGERIA.
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Tunisia: Tozeur, 1909 (Aumont).
 * Type-depository: NHMB.
 * Subspecies of aegyptiacus: Santschi, 1928f: 203; Menozzi, 1929e: 125; Santschi, 1932f: 519; Menozzi, 1932c: 94; Finzi, 1936: 158; Santschi, 1936e: 81; Santschi, 1938a: 31; Finzi, 1940: 159; Bernard, 1948: 138; Bernard, 1953a: 142 (in key); Délye, 1960: 262; Cagniant, 1970a: 416.
 * Status as species: Bernard, 1981b: 143; Bolton, 1995b: 254; Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 317; Cagniant & Espadaler, 1998: 428; Mohamed, Zalat, et al. 2001: 51; Cagniant, 2006a: 197; Collingwood, et al. 2011: 426; Borowiec, L. 2014: 105 (see note in bibliography); Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2020: 11; Barech, et al. 2020: 15.
 * Senior synonym of fossulatus: Cagniant & Espadaler, 1998: 428.
 * Distribution: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates.
 * Current subspecies: nominal plus fossulatus.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Ahmad G. M. M., and M. I. Basuony. 2003. Taxonomy and biodiversity of ant fauna of the Mediterranean coastal desert (Western desert-Egypt). J. Egypt. Ger. Soc. Zool. 42E: 69-83.
 * Bernard F. 1953. Les fourmis du Tassili des Ajjer. Pp. 121-250 in: Bernard, F. (ed.) 1953. Mission scientifique au Tassili des Ajjer (1949). Volume I. Recherches zoologiques et médicales. Paris: P. Lechevalier, 302 pp.
 * Bernard, F.. "Les insectes sociaux du Fezzân. Comportement et biogéographie." En: Bernard, F., Peyerimhoff, P. de Mission sc (1948): 87-200.
 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Cagniant, H., and X. Espadaler. "Le genre Messor au Maroc." Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (N.S.) 33 (4) (1998): 419-434.
 * Cagniant, H.. "Liste actualisee des fourmis du Maroc (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Myrmecologische Nachrichten 8 (2006): 193-200.
 * Chemala A., M. Benhamacha, D. M. Ould el Hadj, F. Marniche, and S. Daoudi. 2017. A preliminary list of the ant fauna in Northeastern Sahara of Algeria (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 64(2): 146-154.
 * Collingwood C. A., D. Agosti, M. R. Sharaf, A. Van Harten, 2011. Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Arthropod Fauna of the UAE 4: 405-474
 * Collingwood C.A., D.Agosti, M.R. Sharaf, and A. van Harten. 2011. Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Arthropod fauna of the UAE, 4: 405474
 * Collingwood, C. A., and Donat Agosti. "Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2)." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15 (1996): 300-385.
 * Delye, G., and J. L. Bonaric. "Fourmis du sud Marocain." Etude de certains milieux du Maroc et de leux evolution recente RCP 249 (1973).
 * Finzi B. 1940. Formiche della Libia. Memorie della Societa Entomologica Italiana 18: 155-166.
 * Finzi, B.. "Risultati scientifici della spedizione di S. A. S. il Principe Alessandro della Torre e Tasso nell'Egitto e peninsola del Sinai. XI. Formiche." Bulletin de la Société Entomologique d'Egypte 20 (1936): 155-210.
 * Menozzi C. 1932. Missione scientifica del Prof. E. Zavattari nel Fezzan (1931). Hymenoptera-Formicidae.. Bollettino della Società Entomologica Italiana. 64: 93-95.
 * Menozzi C. 1932. Spedizione scientifica all'Oasi di Cufra (marzo-luglio 1931). Formiche.. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria. 55: 451-456.
 * Menozzi C. 1934. Reperti mirmecofaunistici raccolti dal Prof. L di Caporiacco nelle oasi di Cufra e in altre localita del deserto Libico. Atti della Societa dei Naturalisti e Matematici di Modena (6)13(65): 153-166
 * Mohamed, S., S. Zalat, H. Fadl, S.Gadalla and M. Sharaf. 2001. Taxonomy of ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) collected by pitfall traps from Sinai and Delta region, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Natural History 3:40-61
 * Orabi G. M., F. M. Semida, M. S. Abdel-Dayem, M. R. Sharaf, and S. M. Zalat. 2011. Diversity patterns of ants along an elevation gradient at St. Catherine Protectorate, South Sinai, Egypt (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zoology in the Middle East 54(1): 101-112.
 * Santschi, F. 1923. Messor et autres fourmis paléarctiques. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 30: 317-336
 * Santschi, F. 1938. Quelques nouvelles fourmis d'Egypte. Bulletin de la Société Entomologique d'Egypte 21: 28-44.
 * Santschi, F.. "Messor et autres fourmis paléarctiques." Revue Suisse de Zoologie 30 (1923): 317-336.
 * Santschi, F.. "Notes sur les fourmis du Sahara." Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (2) 4 (1932): 516-520.
 * Sharaf M. R., B. L. Fisher, H. M. Al Dhafer, A. Polaszek, and A. S. Aldawood. 2018. Additions to the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Oman: an updated list, new records and a description of two new species. Asian Myrmecology 10: e010004