Two ants, two species, one mother - Nature Podcast

<h2>00:45 The ant queen that can produce two different species</h2>Researchers have made an unusual observation that appears at odds with biology: an ant, known as the Iberian Harvester Ant can produce offspring of two completely different species. Many ants need to mate with other species to produce workers that are a genetic mix of the two, known as hybrids. But in Sicily, a team found hybrid worker ants but no trace of the father. They suggest that the one species present, Messor ibericus, is able to lay its own eggs, but also eggs of another species, Messor structor. These offspring can then mate to produce the hybrid workers. This strategy conflicts with several conventional definitions of what a species is, which may prompt a rethink of these already blurry concepts. Research Article: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09425-w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Juvé et al.</a>...