Most of the time, aphids reproduce asexually by cloning themselves. A female will develop embryos in a neat line within her ovaries, and these embryos will also contain developing embryos inside them — “like Russian dolls,” according to scientist David Stern. The mother will give live birth to these offspring. In the autumn, however, she might opt to mate with males and lay eggs that contain genetically different offspring.

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Originally published on Daily Curiosity