Podcast: two ants, two species, one mother
Iberian harvester ants (Messor ibericus) have developed the ability to create eggs of another species, Messor structor, to breed the hardy hybrid workers their colony relies on. It’s a surprising finding, even for an insect known for its often strange and unconventional reproductive strategies. “This is the first time, I think… we've found a species where a mother can produce offspring of two different species,” says entomologist Jessica Purcell, who has written an expert analysis of the new research. “But if it was going to happen in any system, it doesn't surprise me that it happened in ants.”

Nature Podcast | 27 min listen