Himler research Of Mycocepurus smithi

The research team was led by a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin in the United States, Anna Himler. The researchers initially were interested in the ants' capability for cultivating fungus. The researchers used DNA profiling to confirm that each member of the colony was genetically identical to the queen. They also discovered through a process of dissection that the mussel organ, a female docking apparatus within the vagina used to hook the mate's genitalia, had degenerated in members of this species. A total of six separate tests were carried out, with the researchers unable to locate any male members of the species. The team's findings were then published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.