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We have to be satisfied with the fact that the ancient Jaina texts mention two varieties of asexual reproduction, viz. fragmentation and apomixis.
6. Agglutination in two-three and four-sensed Organisms
According to Jaina philosophy two-sensed to four-sensed organisms, take birth by the process of agglutination, e.g. two-sensed organisms - worms, leeches, mollusk, snail etc. ; threesensed organisms = ants, fleas, plant-lice, termites etc. ; four-sensed organisms - flies, mosquitoes, butterflies, moths etc. Thus the above mentioned category of organisms reproduces asexually.
Important Jaina texts like Sthānānga, Samavāyānga, Bhagavati, Jīvābhigama and Uttarādhyanana fail to comment about the process of reproduction of the two to four-sensed organisms. But Prajñāpanā, Tattvārtha and the commentaries of these texts and Gommațasāra
(Jivakānda) have distinctly described birth by agglutination in these organisms.20
According to Zoology worms, ants, flies etc. reproduce sexually. Under unfavorable or exceptional situations these organisms reproduce by different methods of reproductions e.g. normally the honey-bee reproduce sexually, but when there is absence of female-queen-bee, a worker-bee (homosexual) can transform itself into a female-bee and can lay eggs without the process of mating. We can say that the birth of these bees take place by agglutination.
Inspite of faster rate of reproduction by asexual means why do these organisms reproduce sexually, is still unanswered even to the scientists. According to the scientists multicellular organisms rely more on sexual method of reproduction. Due to this organisms which can adapt to the changing environment are born. Hence asexual reproduction is less rampant in these organisms.
The females of two to four called organisms usually lay hundreds of eggs at a time. Hence cluster of such insects are born altogether. Hence Jaina philosophy labels them as agglutinated beings.
Modern Zoological science describes 'hydra' as
"Budding is also known on a multicellular level, an animal example is the hydra, which reproduces by budding. The buds grow into fully matured individuals which eventually break away from the parent organism.'
This 'hydra' can be categorized into agglutinated being.
"Fragmentation is a form of asexual reproduction where a new organism grows from a fragment of the parent. Each fragment develops into a mature, fully grown individual. Fragmentation is seen in many organisms such as some annelid worms and sea stars have specialized structures for reproduction via fragmentation.'
Hence the above mentioned organisms like worms, sea stars can also be called as agglutinated beings.
'Parthenogenesis is a form of agamogenesis in which an unfertilized egg develops into a new individual. Parthenogenesis occurs naturally in invertebrates like water fleas, aphids, stick insects, some ants, bees and parasitic wasps.'
All the above described beings can also be classified into agglutinated beings. According to zoological science honeybees reproduce sexually as well as asexually.
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