Thelytokous-parthenogenesis
Guides
Balcha
Balcha is a genus of parasitoid wasps in the family Eupelmidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). The genus comprises 16 described species worldwide, including eight newly described species and two newly combined species. Members are ectoparasitoids of wood-boring beetles, with Balcha indica notable as an accidental introduction to North America where it attacks the invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis).
Vollenhovia
Vollenhovia is a genus of myrmicine ants distributed primarily in the Australasian and Oriental regions, with notable diversity in India, Sri Lanka, and East Asia. The genus contains species exhibiting remarkable reproductive strategies, including clonal reproduction by males (androgenesis) and queen polymorphism in wing morphology. At least one species, Vollenhovia nipponica, has evolved workerless social parasitism (inquilinism) on congeneric hosts. The genus serves as an important model system for studying the evolution of unusual caste determination, sex determination systems, and reproductive isolation mechanisms.
Vollenhovia emeryi
Vollenhovia emeryi is a queen-polymorphic ant species notable for its unusual reproductive biology. The species produces two distinct queen morphs: long-winged (L) and short-winged (S) forms, which exhibit genetic differentiation and reproductive isolation. Both male and female sexuals are produced clonally, while workers arise sexually from fertilized eggs—a reversal of the typical Hymenopteran pattern. The long-winged morph shows complete association with Wolbachia infection, while short-winged morphs lack this bacterial endosymbiont.