Messor aciculatus

In Japan, this species is known to be winter-active (Hosoishi et al., 2019).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: China, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation.

Biology
Hosoishi et al. (2019) examined winter foraging activity in western Japan. They found foraging activity was generally low, except during relatively warm periods when the surface ground temperature was above 6–7°C or soil temperature was above 4–5°C. Tetramorium tsushimae, Messor aciculatus and Pheidole nodus were the most abundant in the open land type, whereas Nylanderia flavipes, Pheidole nodus and Crematogaster osakensis were the most abundant in the forest type.

Nomenclature

 *  aciculatus. Aphaenogaster aciculata Smith, F. 1874: 405 (w.q.) JAPAN. Imai, 1966: 119 (k.); Onoyama, 1982: 325 (l.); Kupyanskaya, 1990: 122 (m.). Combination in Stenamma (Messor): Forel, 1901h: 60; in Aphaenogaster (Attomyrma): Emery, 1921f: 57; in Messor: Forel, 1922: 93. Senior synonym of brunneicorne: Yano, 1910: 420; Wheeler, W.M. 1928d: 107 (in text); of lobulifera: Wheeler, W.M. 1928c: 9 (in text); Wheeler, W.M. 1928d: 107 (in text). Current subspecies: nominal plus risianus.
 * brunneicorne. Stenamma (Messor) aciculatum var. brunneicorne Forel, 1901h: 60 (w.) JAPAN. Combination in Messor: Emery, 1908e: 459. Raised to species: Emery, 1908e: 459. Junior synonym of aciculatus: Yano, 1910: 420.
 * lobulifera. Messor barbarus var. lobulifera Emery, 1901i: 159 (w.) MONGOLIA. Santschi, 1925f: 93 (q.m.). Raised to species: Ruzsky, 1905b: 739. [Misspelled as lobifer by Santschi, 1925f: 93.] Junior synonym of aciculatus: Wheeler, W.M. 1928c: 9 (in text); Wheeler, W.M. 1928d: 107. See also: Santschi, 1928b: 31.