Female Aussie grasshoppers have cloned themselves and cut out males

Researchers have unlocked the mystery of an Aussie grasshopper that has evolved into an all-female species — no sex or males required.

Professor Ary Hoffmann says the grasshopper research is a rare discovery.

An Aussie grasshopper has evolved into an all-female species that can reproduce without sex – no males required.

Melbourne University researchers have discovered that two species of the morabine, or “matchstick”, family of grasshoppers have been cloning themselves – and thriving – for about 250,000 years.

Professor Ary Hoffmann, chair of ecological genetics in the university’s Biosciences department, said the grasshoppers first started cloning themselves in Western Australia but have now spread to the rest of the country.

“We have been looking at the species that’s basically been parthenogenetic, which means that it only produces female,’’ Professor Hoffman said.

“Females that only reproduce without males are very unusual in the animal kingdom.

“These hoppers have persisted and spread through the continent and haven’t required males for the last 250,000 years.’’

The Australian grasshopper that has become an all-female species. Picture: University of Melbourne

And millions of the two all-female Warramaba species – Virgo and Ngadju – had become dominant and had thrived, he said.

“It hasn’t lost any of its ability to spread and fill up populations. So you haven’t had the sort of process of deterioration going on. It’s done extremely well.

“So this was one of these cases where all of a sudden you’d think, ‘wow, what’s going on here?’ because normally it requires sex to persist but here’s a beast that’s doing it without the sex and doing it very, very well.

“It’s extremely rare.’’

Professor Hoffman said the latest discovery and research, to be published in Science journal, was aided by latest DNA techniques and built on previous research in the field dating back to the 1950s.

The Australian 'matchstick' grasshopper reproduces without sex. Picture: University of Melbourne

Lead author Professor Michael Kearney said the findings challenged evolutionary theory about the advantages of sexual reproduction.

“Most species on earth have two sexes, male and female, that mix their genes when they reproduce. This method of reproduction is thought to increase genetic diversity and ecological success of a species,” Professor Kearney said. 

Professor Hoffmann said the species appeared to have developed from only a single highly successful clone.

“With so many benefits of giving up sex, it’s surprising that parthenogenetic species are not more common.’’

Originally published as Female Aussie grasshoppers have cloned themselves and cut out males