 Novomessor was synonymized in 1974 , although evidence to retain it as a valid genus emerged when scientists discovered an exocrine gastral glandular system in two Novomessor species and none in Aphaenogaster . However , N. ensifer does not have this glandular system . English myrmecologist Barry Bolton argues that basing the genus on such feature cannot justify the separation of Novomessor and Aphaenogaster . In 2015 , a phylogenetic study concluded that Novomessor was genetically distinct from Aphaenogaster , and the genus was revived from synonymy to include N. ensifer , N. albisetosus and N. <unk> as members of it . 
