[00:02] another species. Iberian harvester ant colonies may look ordinary with queens, workers, and males, but to keep it all ticking, the queen needs sperm from a different species, Messor structor. After mating, the alien sperm is stored
[00:16] inside her body. When producing male clones, the sperm enters one of her eggs, but she removes her genes from the mix. She can also mix genes from both species, producing sterile female workers. And to ensure the survival of
[00:30] colony, she can use stored sperm from her own kind to produce new queens. This strategy of having two genetic lines is crucial to this ant's survival. One line produces Iberian harvester queens and males. The other produces hybrid workers
[00:45] as well as male Messor structor ant clones as mates for future queens. By maintaining an in-nest supply of cloned males, future queens no longer need to count on finding this species in the
[00:57] wild. New colonies can spread into new territories, boldly going wherever they can survive. All this makes them one of the most complex and weird forms of the most complex and weird forms of colonial life we know.