clipped from: www.telegraph.co.uk   

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 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.

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,