Iberian harvester ant queens produce hybrid offspring using sperm from another species

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Iberian harvester ant queens can produce hybrid offspring from another species, a phenomenon called xenoparous reproduction. This allows queens to utilize sperm from Messor structor males to create hybrid worker ants, ensuring colony survival even without M. structor males present. This discovery challenges existing understanding of insect reproduction and evolution, with hybrid ants found thousands of kilometers from their paternal species' populations.


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Iberian harvester ant queens produce hybrid offspring using sperm from another species | News Minimalist