[Torkel]

So the messor male line is without sexual reproduction. Essentially a clone army, all with identical genes?

I find it interesting that this has not led to all the clones knocked out by diseases, as happens to eg our banana plantations.

[Amezarak]

All M. structor's aren't clones, only in that colony.

They are out their in the wild reproducing with other M. structors sexually.

[noselasd]

I thought one of the big points was there's no M. structor females on the islands.

[sjducb]

The authors tried to find evidence of gene flow between the domesticated messor drones and the wild messor populations, but couldn’t. They sequenced about 100 ants, so it was not an exhaustive search. However if it was common you would have expected to see it.