• Menozzi, 1939c: 102 (q.m.)
• Combination in Messor: Emery, 1908f: 443.
• Combination in Sphaeromessor: Bernard, 1985: 48.
• Combination in Messor: Bolton, 1995b: 253.
• Subspecies of Messor barbarus: Emery, 1897f: 597; Forel, 1901m: 61; Mayr, 1907b: 14.
• Status as species: Emery, 1908f: 443; Emery, 1921c: 73; Wheeler, 1922: 805; Menozzi, 1939c: 102; Menozzi & Consani, 1952: 62; Bolton, 1982: 346 (redescription); Bolton, 1995b: 253; Hita Garcia et al., 2013: 212.
• Senior synonym of Messor plinii: Bolton, 1982: 346; Bolton, 1995b: 253.

Junior synonyms

• Messor plinii Santschi, 1912

Obsolete combinations

• Stenamma barbarum cephalotes

Citations

• Bernard, F. 1985. Recherches sur l'évolution des fourmis moissonneuses (Hym. Formicidae). Actes des Colloques Insectes Sociaux 2:45-55.
• Bolton, B. 1982. Afrotropical species of the myrmicine ant genera Cardiocondyla, Leptothorax, Melissotarsus, Messor and Cataulacus (Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 45:307-370. PDF
• Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp.
• Emery, C. 1895b. Esplorazione del Giuba e dei suoi affluenti compiuta dal Cap. V. Bottego durante gli anni 1892-93 sotto gli auspicii della Società Geografica Italiana. Risultati zoologici. X. Formiche. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale 35[=(2)15]:175-184. PDF
• Emery, C. 1897f. Formiche raccolte da Don Eugenio dei Principi Ruspoli, durante l'ultimo suo viaggio nelle regioni dei Somali e dei Galla. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale 38[=(2)18]:595-605. PDF
• Emery, C. 1908f. Beiträge zur Monographie der Formiciden des paläarktischen Faunengebietes. (Hym.) Teil III. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 1908:437-465. PDF
• Emery, C. 1921c. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Myrmicinae. [part]. Genera Insectorum 174A:1-94 + 7 plates. PDF
• Forel, A. 1901m. Formiciden des Naturhistorischen Museums zu Hamburg. Neue Calyptomyrmex-, Dacryon-, Podomyrma- und Echinopla-Arten. Mitteilungen aus dem Naturhistorischen Museum in Hamburg 18:43-82. PDF
• Hita Garcia, F.; Wiesel, E.; Fischer, G. 2013. The ants of Kenya (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)—faunal overview, first species checklist, bibliography, accounts for all genera, and discussion on taxonomy and zoogeography. Journal of East African Natural History 101 (2):127-222. PDF
• Mayr, G. 1907b. 2. Formicidae. Pp. 7-24 in: Sjöstedt, Y. 1907. 1907-1910. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Schwedischen Zoologischen Expedition nach dem Kilimandjaro, dem Meru und umgebenden Massaisteppen Deutsch-Ostafrikas 1905-1906. 2. Band, Abt. 8. Stockholm: K. Schwed. Akad. Wissenschaften, 316 pp. PDF
• Menozzi, C. 1939c. Hymenoptera Formicidae. Missione Biologica nel Paese dei Borana 3:97-110.
• Menozzi, C.; Consani, M. 1952. Missione biologica Sagan-Omo diretta dal Prof. E. Zavattari. Hymenoptera Formicidae. Rivista di Biologia Coloniale 11:57-71. PDF
• Wheeler, W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. New York: Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 1139.