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Ants of the genus Wasmannia are social insects native to tropical habitats; Wasmannia species are haplodiploid: this means that the reproductive castes (queens and drones) are haploid, but worker caste are diploid. They are also known as the little fire ant and are considered one of the worst invasive pests.[1] In one species, W. auropunctata, the males and females have been shown to reproduce clonally.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Lowe S, Browne M, Boudjelas S, De Poorter M (2004). 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species: A Selection from the Global Invasive Species Database (PDF). Invasive Species Specialist Group. IUCN. Retrieved on 2006-08-21.
- ^ D. Fournier, A. Estoup, J. Orivel, J. Foucaud, H. Jourdan, J. Le Breton & L. Keller (2005). Clonal reproduction by males and females in the little fire ant. Nature 435: 1230–1234. DOI:10.1038/nature03705.
