Tag

Social Parasitism

All articles tagged with #social parasitism

science18 days ago•2 min saved

Social-Parasite Ant Produces All-Queen Offspring

Temnothorax kinomurai invades nests of its relative T. makora, replacing the host queen while workers continue tending the nest; the parasite’s queens reproduce parthenogenetically, producing only queen offspring in both lab (six colonies yielding 43 offspring) and field (seven successful invasions yielding 57 offspring). The study, published in Current Biology on Feb 23, 2026, notes the all-queen strategy is rare and geographically limited to nine locations in Japan.

via DOGO News|

#ants #parthenogenesis #queen-reproduction

animals2 months ago•69 min saved

Only-queen parasitic ant clones itself to hijack other nests

Scientists report that Temnothorax kinomurai, a rare Japanese ant, has no workers or males and reproduces by parthenogenesis to produce only queens. These parasitic queens invade nests of the related species Temnothorax makora, enlist host workers to raise their offspring, and in lab trials seven of 43 unmated offspring succeeded in coup; all offspring were queens, showing a unique combination of asexual reproduction and social parasitism in ants.

via Live Science|

#animals #insects #parthenogenesis

biology2 years ago•3 min saved

"Unraveling the Mystery of Tiny Ant Queens: Supergene Research Reveals Answers"

Researchers at UC Riverside have discovered that the presence of tiny queens in ant colonies is controlled by supergenes, which determine the number and size of queens in the colony. These supergenes, found in the ant species Formica cinerea, play a crucial role in the social dynamics of ant colonies, potentially leading to reproductive conflicts among workers. The study suggests that the combined supergenes may help the colony expand and survive, shedding light on the evolution of social parasitism in ants.

via Phys.org|

#ant-colonies #biology #entomology