Messor

Garcia, Wiesel and Fischer (2013) - The more than 160 species (Bolton, 2012) are distributed across the Holarctic, frotropical, and Oriental regions, with its highest diversity found in the Palaearctic region. Messor is a genus of primarily granivorous ants that play an important role in seed dispersal. These ants are commonly encountered in savannahs, grasslands, or even more arid habitats like semi-deserts and deserts (Bolton, 1982).

Species richness
Species richness by country based on regional taxon lists (countries with darker colours are more species-rich). View Data



Nomenclature

 *  MESSOR [Myrmicinae: Pheidolini]
 * Messor Forel, 1890a: lxviii [as subgenus of Aphaenogaster]. Type-species: Formica barbara, by subsequent designation of Bingham, 1903: 277.
 * Messor subgenus of Aphaenogaster: Dalla Torre, 1893: 98; Forel, 1899c: 59.
 * Messor subgenus of Stenamma: Emery, 1895c: 298; Forel, 1903a: 693.
 * Messor raised to genus: Bingham, 1903: 277.
 * Messor senior synonym of Cratomyrmex: Emery, 1924d: 357; Bolton, 1982: 338.
 * Messor senior synonym of Veromessor (and its junior synonym Lobognathus): Bolton, 1982: 338.
 * CRATOMYRMEX [junior synonym of Messor]
 * Cratomyrmex Emery, 1892d: 572. Type-species: Cratomyrmex regalis, by monotypy.
 * Cratomyrmex subgenus of Messor: Santschi, 1920d: 378.
 * Cratomyrmex junior synonym of Messor: Emery, 1924d: 357.
 * Cratomyrmex revived from synonymy: Bernard, 1971: 6.
 * Cratomyrmex junior synonym of Messor: Bolton, 1982: 338.
 * LOBOGNATHUS [junior synonym of Messor]
 * Lobognathus Enzmann, J. 1947b: 152 [as subgenus of Veromessor]. Erroneous entry for Veromessor lobognathus and hence junior synonym of Veromessor: Brown, 1949a: 49
 * Lobognathus junior synonym of Messor: Bolton, 1982: 338.
 * VEROMESSOR [junior synonym of Messor]
 * Veromessor Forel, 1917: 235 [as subgenus of Novomessor]. Type-species: Aphaenogaster andrei, by subsequent designation of Emery, 1921f: 67.
 * Veromessor raised to genus: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 661.
 * Veromessor senior synonym of Lobognathus: Brown, 1949a: 49.
 * Veromessor junior synonym of Messor: Bolton, 1982: 338.
 *  SPHAEROMESSOR [unavailable name]
 * Sphaeromessor Bernard, 1985: 48. Unavailable name. Proposed without designation of type-species and therefore unavailable. Species included by Bernard (1985) are all referable to Messor: Bolton, 1995b: 46.