Significance Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that colonize every genome and have a great impact on the genome evolution and structure. Here, we report experimental evolution results that confirm the intrinsic “selfish” properties of TEs in sexual populations. We also show how different kinds of copies from the same family strongly interfere: cheating nonautonomous copies parasitize autonomous ones, to the extent of endangering the survival of the whole TE family. These results nicely illustrate the “genome-ecology” analogy, according to which genome components are assimilated with interacting species in an ecosystem.