No Men?!!!!
 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wil...ical-ants.html

Females get along fine without males - in the world of tropical ants
A type of tropical ant has dispensed with males altogether, according to scientists, and only the female of the species exists.

By Alastair Jamieson
Last Updated: 3:04PM BST 16 Apr 2009

The Mycocepurus smithii ant is the first known to be a male-free species
Experts have discovered a South American species that is exclusively female and reproduces asexually by cloning the queen.

Reproduction without sex is fairly common in the ant world, but the Mycocepurus smithii is the first known to be a male-free species. The phenomenon takes the stress out of finding a mate and may help keep the peace in colonies, the scientists believe.

Researchers were first drawn to Mycocepurus smithii by its skill at cultivating various different fungal crops for food but closer inspection raised questions about the ants' sex life.

Six separate tests on the ants failed to uncover any males, researchers led by Anna Himler at the University of Texas at Austin wrote in the British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society.

The findings run counter to scientific theories that say asexuality is an evolutionary disadvantage because it eliminates mutations and generates genetic diversity more slowly than sexual reproduction.

The researchers carried out half a dozen tests, including field surveys of colonies from Panama to Argentina, examining the reproductive system of queen ants, and testing the genes of clones and their mothers.

They also tested whether bacteria could be the cause of the ants' asexuality and whether treating females with antibiotics or changing the fungus they fed on would stimulate the production of males.

One possible advantage of asexual reproduction is that it avoids the need to find a mate and the efforts associated with mating, according to the researchers.

Hard to argue with that one . . ..

Well yeah, but it sure can't be much fun. I can just imagine their little tiny ant strap-ons.

I'm sorry, did I type that out loud?

Some types of whiptail lizards reproduce without males, though I think an occasional dude lizard shows up. There's more info in one of my several books are weird animal facts. Meanwhile, I love that for ants

a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle, right Gloria?

To be fair ants have never been big on gender differences. More into the whole one girl, five guys and a army of slaves thing.

...

Ants are into S&M?...

Spainards and Mexicans?

That's quite an imagination you have there.

Imagination hell, that's from her diary. :haha:

Actually, it is part of a book I am working on: The Ants Go Munching One By One

Who isn't in to that?

Actually, ants around here keep aphids as cattle, and harvest their honeydew. Aphids reproduce asexually, so maybe it's diet, or they use aphids as role models?

Even an ant should feel superior to an Aphid.
They're like miniture sheep, exept the excrement tastes even better.

Yeah, but ant wool is a bitch to remove.

I don't think I want to know how you know this. :eyebrow:

Teapot is an ant. It all makes sense now.

I read Empire of the Ants by Bernard Weber awhile ago. It was really fun, and gave me a new perspective on ants, even though its just fiction.

Its not half as cool as the reality of our mighty race.
We wage war against nature by day, and party by night.

Did you know that ants invented the first hangover cure?

A fire ant bit my knee two days ago.

Having a little trouble with my eyes. Did you write that you had a fire ant on your knee or that you were on your knees on Fire Island?

Let your imagination wander. An ant bit my knee.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/no...tmoundlawn.JPG

I'm so confused by that picture I don't know where to start: it's like some Romantic Cockroach Getaway Package in the Poconos. You know Rold Gold pretzels are like champagne and strawberries to a female cockaroach, doncha?

When I first saw the title of this thread, I thought it was to be about lesbians. I had a rimlick--I mean a limerick ready and everything.