Genus Messor ^HNS Forel, 1890

Messor ^HNS Forel, 1890: Annls Soc. Ent. Belg. 34.C.R:68.

Type-species: Formica barbara L. ^HNS, 1767, Syst. Nat. ed.12, 2:962.

Distribution: Palaearctic, Ethiopian, Oriental, Nearctic & Neotropical regions.

Key to species

1 - Underside of head with moderately curved and straight hairs (Fig.32); head reddish-yellow ..................... M. rufotestaceous ^HNS (Foerster)

- Underside of head with at least some long J- shaped hairs (Fig.33), head black..............2

2- Propodeum armed with a triangular teeth, body entirely black, dorsum of propodeum completely straited; petiole with 3 pairs of hairs(Fig.34)............... M. foreli Santschi ^HNS.

-Propodeum unarmed, body entirely black except antenna and pronotum reddish, dorsum of alitrunk completely striated; presence of one pair of hairs on petiole (Fig.35)............ .............................. M. ebininus Santschi ^HNS