Messor muscatus

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Saudi Arabia. Palaearctic Region: Oman.

Nomenclature

 * . Messor muscatus Collingwood & Agosti, 1996: 320, fig. 7 (w.) OMAN, SAUDI ARABIA, YEMEN.
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 4 paratype workers.
 * Type-locality: holotype Oman: Ras al-Hamra, Muscat, 19.vi.1985 (C. Holzschuh); paratypes: 1 worker with same data, 1 worker Saudi Arabia: Wadi Shijah, 4.v.1976 (W. Büttiker), 2 workers Yemen: Madinat al-Shariq, 7.iii.1993 (C.A. Collingwood).
 * Type-depository: NHMB (perhaps also in WMLC).
 * Status as species: Borowiec, L. 2014: 109.
 * Distribution: Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen.

Worker
Holotype: TL 5.2; HW 1.11; EL/HW 0.31; SI 103.

This small brown species has large eyes and a long scape which surpasses the occiput when laid back. The propodeum is rounded as in Messor syriacus. The psammophore is distinct but less developed compared with M. syriacus and the whole body is evenly brownish, not bicoloured as in M. syriacus. The postpetiole is long and low as in Messor crawleyi and Messor hismai but this species is distinctly different from both of these in the shape of the propodeum. There are long body hairs over the promesonotum and a few shorter hairs on the first gastral tergite.

Type Material
Holotype: worker, Oman, Ras al-Hamra, Muscat, 19.VI.1985, C Holzschuh. - Paratypes: Oman: 1 worker, same series as holotype. - Saudi Arabia: 1 worker, Wadi Shijah, 4.V:1976, W. Bilttiker. - Yemen: 2 workers, Madinat al-Shariq, 7.III.1993, C. A. Collingwood.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Collingwood, C. A., and Donat Agosti. "Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2)." Fauna of Saudi Arabia 15 (1996): 300-385.
 * 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