{"id":344,"date":"2026-03-29T15:40:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T14:40:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/no-males-or-workers-all-ants-are-queens-in-this-species\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T15:40:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T14:40:36","slug":"no-males-or-workers-all-ants-are-queens-in-this-species","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/no-males-or-workers-all-ants-are-queens-in-this-species\/","title":{"rendered":"No Males or Workers: All Ants Are Queens in This Species"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

Des exp\u00e9riences impliquant les repr\u00e9sentantes d\u2019une esp\u00e8ce de fourmi parasite japonaise<\/strong> ont confirm\u00e9 qu\u2019il s\u2019agissait exclusivement de reines, se reproduisant via parth\u00e9nogen\u00e8se.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Temnothorax kinomurai<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Generally, ant colonies typically consist of a queen, workers, and males with very short lifespans, who die soon after mating. For decades, there had been suspicion that the species Temnothorax kinomurai<\/em> produced only queens, but definitive proof had not yet been obtained.<\/p>\n

Read also<\/span> No reward needed: raccoons solve puzzles just for fun<\/span><\/section>\n

These insects seize the nests of the closely related Temnothorax makora<\/em>, killing the host queen and some workers by stinging them. They then reproduce asexually through a process known as parthenogenesis, which essentially yields clones. The T. makora<\/em> workers subsequently tend the larvae until they hatch.<\/p>\n

In work published in the journal Current Biology<\/em>, J\u00fcrgen Heinze, from the University of Regensburg, and his colleagues collected six groups of T. kinomurai<\/em>, used to form laboratory colonies. Careful examination confirmed the complete absence of males, and that the offspring they produced consisted exclusively of queens.<\/p>\n

\n

A parasitic species of ant from Japan is the first ever found to have done away with both males and female workers \u2013 instead every individual is a queen that tries to take over the nests of other species. https:\/\/t.co\/bE1HLx9wXw<\/p>\n

\u2014 New Scientist (@newscientist) February 28, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Of the 43 specimens given the opportunity to take control of colonies of T. makora<\/em>, seven succeeded their \u201ccoup d\u2019\u00c9tat<\/em>,\u201d giving rise to 57 descendants that were genetically identical to them.<\/p>\n

Read also<\/span> Longtemps ignor\u00e9e, la queue de Giraffatitan se r\u00e9v\u00e8le mobile, lev\u00e9e et fonctionnellement bien plus riche qu\u2019attendu<\/span><\/section>\n

A risky but rewarding strategy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As Heinze explains, invading colonies of other species is a risky strategy. But it often proves advantageous in the case of T. kinomurai<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen parthenogenesis evolves as a result of a random mutation, as in T. kinomurai, queens can produce up to 100 clones, without needing to mate<\/em>,\u201d he summarizes. \u201cThe chances of perpetuating the species are then much higher than in species that reproduce sexually<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the researcher, the behaviors documented represent the most advanced form of social parasitism observed in ants, underscoring the remarkable flexibility of these fascinating insects.<\/p>\n

Read also<\/span> Au Cambodge, des grottes livrent 11 esp\u00e8ces inconnues et d\u00e9voilent un \u00e9cosyst\u00e8me bien plus riche que ce que l\u2019on imaginait<\/span><\/section>\n

Previously, scientists had documented another fascinating strategy in a parasitic species, involving the emission of chemical compounds that drive the workers of a colony to kill their queen.<\/p>\n