'Almost unimaginable': these ants are different species but share a mother
7 days ago
- #ants
- #reproduction
- #biology
- Iberian harvester ants (Messor ibericus) queens can produce male offspring of a different species, Messor structor, breaking a fundamental biological rule.
- These queens use M. structor sperm to create hybrid worker ants, which are a mix of both species.
- In the absence of nearby M. structor colonies, M. ibericus queens clone M. structor males by laying eggs containing only M. structor DNA.
- This discovery was published in Nature on September 3, highlighting a unique and bizarre reproductive strategy.
- On Sicily, researchers found M. ibericus colonies containing both M. ibericus and M. structor ants, despite no M. structor populations being present on the island.
- The queens clone M. structor ants to maintain a sperm supply, then mate with them to produce hybrid workers that care for the colony.
- This behavior effectively domesticates M. structor and its genome within M. ibericus colonies.