Overview

• Colonies rely on hybrid female workers produced from Messor ibericus queens using Messor structor sperm, a form of social hybridogenesis.
• Sequencing revealed that both male types in the same nests share mitochondrial DNA from M. ibericus queens, excluding hidden M. structor mothers.
• Isolated queens produced M. structor males in about 10% of eggs, including a case where one queen made males of both species over 18 months.
• Researchers documented two distinct male morphs in colonies: hairy M. ibericus males and nearly hairless M. structor clones.
• The cellular mechanism that removes the maternal nuclear genome remains unresolved, with hypotheses under investigation using cell‑biological methods.