Paris, September 15, 2025 (Agencies): In a breakthrough that is rewriting the biology of reproduction, scientists have discovered that the queens of Iberian harvester ants (Messor ibericus) are capable of producing two completely different species from their eggs — a phenomenon never before observed in the animal kingdom.
The discovery, published in Nature on September 3 by researchers from the University of Montpellier, sheds light on a unique survival strategy that allows ant colonies to create both future queens of their own species and hybrid workers from another species (Messor structor) — all from the same queen.
- Solving a Biological Mystery
The research was launched to solve the puzzle of missing worker ants in Messor ibericus colonies. Preliminary data hinted that hybrid workers were being produced through cross-breeding with Messor structor, but the nearest known population of Messor structor was more than 1,000 kilometers away from the study site in Sicily.
“We had a strong suspicion that something was very unusual about this species,” said Jonathan Romiguier, senior author of the study. “But we were far from imagining just how unusual it really was.”
Over five years, researchers sampled more than 120 ant populations across Europe, sequenced hundreds of genomes, and observed colonies in controlled lab nests. What they witnessed was extraordinary: queens produced two distinct types of male offspring — one hairy (pure Messor ibericus) and one hairless (Messor structor clones) — effectively generating two species from the same reproductive process.
- A Hybrid Workforce and Genetic Cloning
Unlike most ant species, Messor ibericus queens lost the ability to produce their own worker ants millions of years ago. To survive, they began mating with Messor structor males to produce hybrid workers that make up 99% of the colony. Over time, these queens evolved an unprecedented reproductive strategy — cloning the sperm of Messor structor males stored in their bodies.
This process, called sexual domestication, allowed the queens to create a permanent, self-sustaining lineage of cloned Messor structor males within their nests, eliminating the need to seek mates in the wild. The result: thriving colonies of hybrid workers that now populate large swathes of the Mediterranean region.
“This is the first known case of xenoparity — producing another species’ genome using one’s own eggs,” Romiguier said. “It’s as if the queens have domesticated another species’ males, much like humans domesticating livestock.”
- Genetic Insights and Evolutionary Implications
Genome sequencing revealed that only the queens and reproductive males of Messor ibericus carry the “pure” genetic line. Hybrid worker ants are the result of eggs fertilized with cloned Messor structor sperm. Astonishingly, the queens can remove their own genetic material from an egg’s nucleus, allowing the embryo to develop using only the sperm’s DNA — a rare reproductive method known as androgenesis.
Dr. Jacobus J. Boomsma, professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Copenhagen, who was not involved in the research, called the discovery a “stabilized but risky evolutionary strategy.” He warned that losing genetic diversity might eventually make the species more vulnerable to extinction.
- Future Research Directions
Scientists are now working to uncover the precise cellular mechanism behind this cross-species cloning, which could provide insights into natural cloning processes and their potential applications in biotechnology.
“This is one of the strangest and most fascinating reproductive systems we’ve seen,” said Jessica Purcell, entomologist at the University of California, Riverside. “Figuring out exactly how the queen determines which eggs will become queens, workers, or foreign-species clones will be the next exciting step.”
Researchers believe the study not only revolutionizes understanding of ant biology but also provides a striking example of how natural selection drives extreme adaptations for survival.